goalifeculture

narakasur photos 2011

2011-11-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.just like every year diwali was celebrated with great enthusiasm in goa this year also.And i have already told you the speciality of goa regarding diwali,the narakasur night.I already wrote in my previous posts about the naraksur in goa.today i just want to share few narakasur pics taken on the narakasur night this year.thousands of narakasurs idols were made as usual.people went out in large numbers to see narakasurs.The narakasur idols made were very creative and of different types with very few narakasurs made the traditional way.

narakasur photos 2011:

You can check last years narakasur photos here: narakasur 2011

narakasur in goa 2011

2011-10-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

hi everyone.I have posted before about narakasur in goa and few photos of narakasur.now diwali is coming closer so people in goa have started making narakasurs.If you visit goa at this time of year you can see many small and big narakasurs all around.people of all ages take part in making narakasur but it is mostly small kids and youths doing the major work.since few days are remaining now The making of the devil has started!!!!

A lot of efforts are put making these narakasur idols.These narakasur idols are made using wood,grass and paper.first a skeleton has to be built and then complete the statue using grass and sack and paper.the coloring is mostly done on the day before diwali.The huge narakasur idols on takes more than 10 days to make and its not an easy task.It involves lot of artistic work.
i'll be posting more photos of narakasur's so stay tuned :)

Dhalo-a Goan folk dance

2011-10-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

hi everyone.Today i would like to write about "Dhalo",which is a popular dance in Goa.Goa has a rich cultural heritage and traditional folksongs and dances form an important part of this cultural heritage of Goa.Goa has many types of traditional folk dances like fugdi,lamp dance,dekhni etc.All these dances are famous in Goa and mostly practiced in rural areas."Dhalo" is one of these dances which is well known and is important part of the Goan culture.This dance is performed only by women.It is a way of worshiping Mother earth for protecting our houses."Dhalo" is performed in the hindu month PAUSHA on moonlit night.It is mostly celebrated for 5,7 or 9 days.
For performing this dance women of any age group can participate.They form 2 parallel rows or semicircle with mostly 12 women in a row.All women in one row form a link between themselves with arm around the back arrangement.They sing mostly konkani or sometimes marathi songs in unison while dancing.The dance basically involves prancing backward and forward.The place where "Dhalo" is performed is referred as "Dhalyacho mand" which simply means in an open space.The "mand" is considered to be a sacred place and wearing footwear in "mand" is not allowed.

The festival begins on full moon day which is called as "Dhalyachi poonav".The dhalo songs are mostly dedicated to nature and often refer to the flora and fauna.The songs sometimes also reflect the stories of their day to day life and their affection with nature.The dhalo comes to end with an even called "mand shimpane" which mean sprinkling water on the "mand".

butterfly beach---a serene beach in Goa

2011-10-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

As we know Goa is famous for its beaches.beaches like Vagator,anjuna etc. are very famous.But there are quite a few beaches in goa which are unknown or not so famous among tourists.one such beach is the butterfly beach in Goa.

butterfly beach goa

The butetrfly beach is a serene beach located in the canacona district of Goa.This beach unlike other beaches in goa is away from the glamour of tourism.you won't find shacks,shops or any other tourist facility on this beach.This in indeed a quiet beach with very few visitors.The butetrfly beach is an undeveloped from the tourism point of view.But for those tourist who are in search of peace they can surely get to this secluded beach as there is not much rush here and can enjoy this calm and cool beach.

But its not easy to go to butterfly beach.Either one can hire a local boatman from palolem beach to take you to the butterfly beach or the other way is to reach there through the jungle which is almost one hour walk.while taking the boat ride one can see dolphins sometimes.

3 kings church at cansulim

2011-10-02T01:42:00.000-07:00

Goa is visited by millions of tourist every year.There are so many places in Goa which are famous as tourist spot.But there are some places which are worth to be visited by tourists but very few people know about them.one of such place is the 3 kings church in the cansulim village about 15m from velsao in south Goa.

The 3 kings church is situated at Cuelim hill.The church is famous for the feast of 3 kings celebrated every year on 6th janaury.

The 3 kings church

According to some people this church is a haunted church.It is said that long time ago there were 3 portuguese kings living in goa.they often used to fight to gain power in the land but they were tied by the portuguese diplomacy between rulers policy.one of the kings(king holger alvunger) one day invited the other two kings in his place and poisoned them to death.he himself fell out with the public and commited suicide by consuming poison.king holgers place is the current 3 kings church in goa,where there have been reports of sightings and general unrest.

3 kings church seen from the foot of the hill

However this is one of the most scenic spots in Goa.It is worth climbing the hill and getting here since one can get a breathtaking view of surrounding lush green regions and the Arabian sea,and if u go there before sundown u will be able to enjoy a mind numbling sunset.the 3 church is one place to enjoy peace and wonderful natural beauty.The place isn't established as a tourist spot but it is still visited by many tourist and nature loving people.It is a paradise for photographers as well.so do visit this magnificant place and preferable in the evening so that you can see the awesome view of sunset from the top of the hill.

some photographs taken during the sunset which clearly shows the mesmerizing beauty of this place:

The 3 kings is a must visit place for nature loving tourists.

Mahaganapati temple in khandola

2011-10-01T02:56:00.000-07:00

Goa is famous for temples.There are many temples in Goa.Many of these temples are famous even outside the state of Goa,and people from neighbouring states like karnataka,maharastra visit these temples.Temples in Goa have historic significance.many temples dates back to 15th or some even to the13th century.
one such famous temple in Goa is located in the tiny Khandola village.This temple is one of the oldest temples in Goa.The Ganapati temple was originally located on the Divar island.Goa was under the portuguese rule at that time.portuguese were destroying many temples in goa.This temple was also destroyed by them in 1540 but the devotees of lord ganesha moved the idol to khandepar village in ponda taluka to protect it from the destruction caused by portuguese.After few years the idol had to be moved to narve village for some reason.But in the year 1750 the idol again was moved from narve and settled in khandola which became the permanant place.

old Ganapati temple in khandola

After many years the temple comitte decided to replace the old idol with a new idol.but during the 'prasad ritual',the lord demanded a permanant place in the temple.So the old idol was kept in the temple.
Today we can see 2 idols in the garbagriha ,the new idol established in 1969 and the old 13th century idol which is to the left of the new idol.
This temple is very famous in Goa as well as the neighboring states.At any time during the year one could find lot of visitors to the temple to seek blessings of the lord.The main festival celebrated here is Sankashti Chaturthi.The temple is decorated with lights during this time.
here are some pics of the khandola temple:

VIVA CARNIVAL

2011-09-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

Carnival is one of Goa's famous and popular festivals celebrated in the month of February.It is celebrated just before the 40 days of Lent.The festival is celebrated for one week in many cities of goa like PanjimVasco etc. Lakhs of tourists visit Goa for new year celebration,and they stay here for a month or two.As a result they get to witness one of the best carnival celebrations.The carnival festival is a major attraction for tourists visiting Goa.Carnival is one of the most waited events for Goans.The streets come to life with Music,color,dances,floats and processions. during this period and the rule of king Momo begins and his message to the people is to party and to enjoy their life .In goa carnival is also known as 'INTRUZ'.

carnival dates back to the portuguese rule in Goa.It was introduced by portuguese during their rule in goa.It was celebrated on a large scale during the olden days.The Festival was revived after the liberation on Goa.The carnival festival is organized by the tourism department with help of Corporation of city of Panjim (CCP).This festival is gaining more and more popularity among international as well as domestic tourists as it is not celebrated in any other part of the country,they get to witness this cheerful festival only in Goa.
So if you are visiting Goa for new year celebration,do wait for some time and watch the craziest festival of Goa.
some pics of carnival in Goa:

more pics of Goa carnival can be seen on flickr,shared by some goans.click the below link to see more carnival pics.
Goa carnival pics on FLICKR
Goa carnival in india

St Francis of Assisi, Old Goa--a famous church in old goa

2011-09-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

As i said before,Goa is famous for its beaches,temples and churches.There are many churches in Goa.Tourists visiting Goa often visit these churches.Most of these churches were built during the Portuguese time.These churches in Goa has their own beauty and magnificent architecture,.they have unique design.among the famous churches of Goa the churches of Old Goa definitely stands first.There are many churches in Old Goa.the city of Old Goa has historic importance.It was the capital during the Portuguese rule.this city is Old Goa is declared as UNESCO world heritage site.some of the famous churches of Old Goa include Se cathedral,Basilica of Bom Jesus,church of st.peter etc.

The St Francis of Assisi church and convent is located to the west of Se Cathedral.The Archiepiscopal palace

which is 230 feet in length and 180 feet in breadth joins the Se cathedral to the convent.The church and convent was create by Franciscan friars.This was supposed to be a chapel when it was built but was later on modified into a church.The convent was built by the Friars as their residence.In 1835 the convent was closed by then Portuguese Government.The convent houses the Museum of Archaeological survey of India since 1964.The Museum has many old painting, sculptures etc from the 18Th century.

st Francis of assisi

The church was demolished in the year 1661 and rebuilt.The interior of the church exhibits the mosaic- Corinthian style.So if u are visiting Goa don't forget to visit this church and other churches of old Goa.

GANESH CHATURTHI in Goa

2011-09-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.Today i am going to share some pics of Ganesh Chaturthi in Goa.Chaturthi is celebrated in Goa mostly during September-October.This festival is celebrated at a large scale in all parts of the state.This festival is celebrated mainly in Goa and Maharashtra.The devotees of lord Ganesha and all people wait eagerly for this festival.Ganesh chaturthi is called as 'chavath' in Goa
Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday of Lord Ganesh.According to Hindu calender Ganesh Chaturthi comes in the month of bhadrapada.The 4th day in the month of bhadrapad is celebrated as Ganesh Chaturthi.Ganesh chaturthi is one ofthe most important festival in Goa.This festival is celebrated by people with great joy.During this time they forget all their worries and celebrate this festival.During Ganesh Chaturthi families which are spread in different parts of reunite at their native place to celebrate the festival.people celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi mostly for 1.5 days or 5 days.But this period can extend to 7,9,11 or even 21 days.people bring home clay idols of lord Ganesh and worship these idols.variety of dishes are made during this time which is the best part of the festival ;) ."Nevri" and "Modak" are common items in the daily menu.Modak is Lord ganesha's favorite sweet.It is my personal favorite also :).

MODAK

NEVRI

After the Chaturthi is over the idols are immersed in nearby lake or sea,this is called 'visarjan'.this marks the end of the most loved festival of Goans. during the visarjan people shout "ganapati bappa morya".every year i wait for Ganesh Chaturthi because its my favorite festival among all.
Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav is also common in Goa. many sarvajanik Ganesh idols are worshipped at public places like B,police stations,community halls etc.places like Mapusa,Marcela etc are famous for
sarvajanik Ganeshotsav.
This was about the Ganesh chaturthi festival in Goa.Here i am sharing many photos of Ganesh idols :
Photos from the year 2010:

Ganesh Chaturthi photos 2011:

NARKASUR photos in Goa

2011-09-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.welcome back to my blog.Today i would like to share some pics of Narkasur in Goa.I mentioned in my last post about Diwali a festival celebrated in Goa.During these festival small children,and youths make giant idols of narkasur.according to mythology Narkasur was an evil king who terrorized people.Lord Krishna killed Narkasur this freeing the people from this demon.Thus people started to celebrate Dipawali(Diwali) which signifies the win of good over evil.

Now Diwali is celebrated all over the country.But in Goa along with the usual religious activities the Goan people are known to celebrate it in a bit different way.Few weeks before Diwali the youths,small Children from every village of Goa start making idols of Narkasur,small or big.They put lot of efforts in making these huge idols.

Children try to make them as good as possible.these idols are later burnt early morning on diwali day.In recent years many Narkasur competitions are organized all over Goa in which many youth clubs take part.The huge Narkasur idols they make depicts the creativity of these youths.Many clubs participate in these competitions.The winners are awarded with case prices.The narkasur competition is a great attraction for tourists visiting Goa during this time.They don't miss the awesome view at the competition spot.Narkasurs competitions are common only in Goa and not found in any other part of the country.

Here are some pics of narkasurs(2010):

UPDATE: narakasur photos 2012
making the narakasur 2012

welcome to goalifeculture

2011-09-18T01:23:00.000-07:00

Hi.Welcome to this blog.This blog is all about Goa---the heaven on earth.This blog will share interesting articles and photos about Goa.Goa is a world famous tourist spot.millions of tourists visit Goa every year.Goa has two main tourist seasons,winter and summer.In winter season international tourist visit Goa mainly from countries like Russia,England etc. while domestic tourists visit mainly during the summer season. People like to celebrate their new year in Goa.Tourism has given employment to thousands of youths of Goa.
This place is famous for it's diverse cultural heritage.people of different religions live here in peace and harmony celebrating their festivals together.Christmas ,Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi are celebrated on a large scale in Goa.The big Narakasur idols on street are major attraction for people.

Goa is mainly popular among the tourist for it's beaches,temples which have historic significance,churches,and the rich cuisine it has to offer these tourists.The most famous beaches from Goa are Vagator beach , Candolim beach,Anjuna beach,miramar beach,palolem beach among many others.

Due to flourishing tourism many youths residing in beach areas have found employment.They run small shacks for tourist.shacks are very popular with the tourists as it is here one can enjoy the cool sea breeze as well as get shelter.The shacks also offers the tourists a wide variety of sea food.The shack business has helped people residing in coastal areas to earn some extra income.

So this is a little info about Goa.Time will be not enough to write about this wonderful place because there's so much one can write about this land of sun,sand and beaches,and yes it is also the land of people with big hearts.
Through this blog i will share the photos about various festivals and culture of Goa and also some articles about Goa .so do visit again :)