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| Ushering and celebrating the monsoon! |
The monsoon season has set in Goa - though at a very slow pace... The onset of the rainy season in Goa is marked by the Sao Jao (means St. John in Portuguese) festival. This festival known for men jumping into the wells. In recent times, the people, celebrate this festival by jumping into lakes, streams, rain showers and swimming pools.
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| Villagers revelling in the festivities. |
An interesting tradition of this festival is that many of the revellers wear elaborate headgears, known as kopel (in Konkani) It is mainly made of flowers, fruits, leaves, creepers and palms . Indeed an ecofriendly crown!
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| One of them wearing the kopel - the crown |
This festival symbolizes, the unborn St. John the Baptist’s leap in his mother’s (Elizabeth) womb, when Mother Mary came to visit him.
It marks the feast of St. John on June 24th.
And is the first festival celebrated during the monsoons, in Goa.
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| Rain dance |
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| Celebrations galore... |
Yesterday, we happened to witness the Sao Jao festivities at Agalli, near Fatorda in Goa. Take a peek into the simple carefree festivities!
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