Fashion Fiesta - A Good Morning in Goa's Arc & Guzaarish

 

Fashion Fiesta -   A Good Morning   in Goa's  Arc   &  Guzaarish

  

 

Goa is a land of predominantly fun-loving and jovial people depicting western aura on the mid-west coast of India. The Portuguese influence is written large on the face of Goa even in the modern days. The beautiful landscape of Goa is a most sought-after tourist destination.

 

The Bom Jesus Basilica, the adjacent Museum with gigantic statues from the Goa History, and the nearby Wax Studio - A La Madame Tussauds Wax Art Gallery in London, are some of the most popular sights in Goa. Madame Tussauds was founded by the famous wax sculptor Marie Tussauds. Madame Tussauds of London has wax statues of our own celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Sachin Tendulkar. The beauty is that if the celebrities are next to the wax statue, then you will be puzzled to identify the real living person. 

 

 

The famed state of Goa known as the “Pearl of the Orient” and a “Tourist Paradise” is situated on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan. The magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendors of its temples, churches, and old houses have made Goa a firm favorite with travelers across the world. Along with English a widely spoken language in Goa, Marathi and Konkani are the other languages spoken there. Since the arrival of Hippies in the sixties, Goa has been a major destination in the itinerary of international and domestic tourists.

 

Goa was one of the major trade centers in India and has attracted dynasties, seafarers, merchants, traders, monks, and missionaries since its earliest known history. Goa has undergone a continuous transformation, leaving an indelible impression on various aspects of its cultural and socio-economic development.  

 

Goa beaches cover about 125 km (78 mi) of its coastline.  These beaches are divided into North and South Goa.  The famous Goan beaches are Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Vagatore, Agonda, Candolim, Colva, Palolem, Chapora, Miramar, Bogmalo, and Dona Paula.

 

 

Goa is famous for its Light House, Coconut Lagoons, the moving barges in the river, exotic locales, and awesome Seafood. The wine flows like water in Goa due to the cut in excise duty from the days when it was a union territory. The tourists and the locals enjoy the feni, beer, wine, and whisky on this count and exploit it to the hilt.

 

A famous quote –

                            “Even the darkest night will end

                              And the sun will rise”.

                                                                      -  Victor Hugo

 

 

Goa is a strip of land that permits celebrations without crowd intervention. Goa is a sought-after outdoor location for Hindi filmmakers. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has a penchant for the Goan monsoon and his film “Guzaarish” portrays the rain lashing at a high risen stonewall structure with a big angel atop the same. The real beauty and grandeur of Goa is at its height during the rainy season and it offers a plethora of unique experiences. I loved the film “Guzaarish” and thanked Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his effort to make a sentimental, touching, and artistic film on a high note. The film “Guzaarish” deals with the concept of mercy killing known as “euthanasia”. I am at the end of this post, separately reviewing the film “Guzaarish”. Albela and Josh are some of the other successful Hindi films shot entirely in the beautiful country of Goa.

 

The International Film Festival of India has been celebrated in Goa in recent times and that can be dated back more than two decades.


The Goa Carnival    

This year's edition of Goan Carnival is being celebrated from 14th February 2015 to 17th February 2015. The Goa Carnival reflects the rich tradition and culture of the state of Goa. The Carnival was initially celebrated by King Momo, one of the legendary chaos Kings of the state, and is one of the Portuguese festivals. Since the Portuguese ruled Goa for 500 years, this festival reflects some of the Portuguese lifestyle.

 

 

The Carnival is an eagerly awaited festival of Goa. The Latin word Carnival means “to throw away meat”. The people of Goa refrain from meat during the Carnival season. The Carnival of Goa attracts people from different parts of India and across the world. The different kinds of celebrations of Carnival in Goa include singing, dancing, drinking, feasting, and various other types of merry-making. All major streets of the state become lively with graceful dances, strumming of guitars, lively processions, and many more. Apart from the non-stop festivity the streets are decorated with vibrant colors and floats. A number of acrobats, brass bands, clowns, dancers, fire eaters, jesters, etc. are seen performing in the major city’s streets of Goa at night during the Carnival season. A huge amount of zest and zeal are seen among the crowd during this state Carnival. After Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, the Goa Carnival is in which the world community rejoices. Goa Carnival is known for spreading joy and happiness. 

 

A famous quote about Happiness –

                “A sound mind in a sound body,

is a short but full description of a happy state in this world”

                                                                                                    -   John Locke.

 

Goa is a destination to wine and dine, dance and merrymaking. The Goans are a friendly, peaceful community and are entertainment seekers with a penchant for discotheque and fabulous fashion. It is a favored destination for honeymooning couples as well. The revelry of music and dance is associated with this Western-like culture prevalent in the Catholic bastion of Goa. The Goan cruises which offer food and drinks and present the native cultural programs are the sights one cannot afford to miss. The loud thunderous music and the dancing grooves, the illuminated cruises afloat in the water and slowly reaching to the anchor in the night is a marvel scenario.

 

The Catholic natives of Goa women prefer to wear frocks and, gowns, and men during occasions wear Western attire like suits. Goa is the fashion capital of India. The Goans with their dress sense and accessories are considered to be the trendsetters in India’s Fashion world. The various varieties of footwear, handbags, hats, and “tattoo” artists in the shacks are a regular sight on Goa beaches. One can lie down on the beach benches under a big colorful umbrella with bright sunshine from the sky showing its magnanimous presence, feasting your eyes on the ocean and the abundant nature’s splendor.

 

Goa is one of the most prosperous and literate states of India. 

 

Goa has beach water sports facilities like Jet Ski, Beach Volley Ball, Swimming and Para Sailing.

 

Goa is one of the most prosperous and literate states of India.


Goa has beach water sports facilities like Jet Ski, Beach Volley Ball, Swimming, and Para Sailing.

The south Goa is well known for its Hindu temples and north Goa is famous for churches.


Marmugao Port is engaged in hectic activities like cargo handling and the barges carrying Minerals, Bauxite, and Iron Ore are a regular sight there. The Dabolim Airport is internationally well-known. The expatriate Goans send foreign exchange currency to their families and relatives.

The Mandovi and Zuari are two important estuaries in Goa. The main channels of these estuaries span about 50 km long with a narrow channel, the Cumbarjua Canal interconnecting them. Throughout the course of these rivers, an intricate system of Wet Lands, Tidal Marshes, and Cultivated Paddy Fields are found which are interconnected by canals, inland lakes, bays, lagoons, and creeks governed by regular tides. The Mandovi and Zuari estuarine network along with Cumbarjua is used extensively for the transportation of iron ores.

 

 

Saint Francis Xavier’s mortal remains from Bom Jesus Basilica are kept in a cask for the public offerings of prayers and worship during some periods announced by the church. This time catholic devotees from all over India and the world land up in Goa to offer their tributes to the patron saint. St. Francis Xavier came to India in the 14th Century. St. Francis Xavier’s mortal body still remains not decomposed to a large extent and is considered a miracle and offered for public adoration in some intervals as per the directive of the clergy of Bom Jesus Basilica.

 

 

The Se Cathedral in Goa is famous for its magnificent architecture.

 

Joseph Vaz, a Goan priest who spent most of his lifetime in missionary work in Sri Lanka is one of the Saints of the Roman Catholic Church.

 

Goa, the Noah’s Arc with everything essential has to be stuffed in your traveler’s bag is the ultimate destination. I have considered Goa as a second home to me in this universe.

 

 

 

Dona Paula – A tragic love story

Dona Paula is a pristine Goa beach where the love birds a.k.a. young couple in love spend their evenings. There is a statue of Dona Paula de Menezes who was the daughter of a Portuguese Viceroy. The young, vivacious, and beautiful Dona Paula falls in love with a local Goan fisherman. Rest is predictable and you know it like many a love epic in motion pictures like Romeo and Juliet and Laila Majnu, that the Viceroy opposes this relationship and the grief-stricken Dona throws herself into the sea from a cliff. The viceroy later built the statue of Dona Paula for the memory of his daughter at the sight where she jumped into the sea and committed suicide. Dona Paula is a sought-after picnic spot for visiting tourists.

 

The bay of Dona Paula lies at the Sangam (meeting point) of the Arabian Sea and Goan rivers Mandovi and Zuari. Dona Paula is located near the Goa capital Panjim.


The Mandovi Bridge and the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church at Panaji are famous landmarks.

 

 

Leander Paes the ace badminton player, Dilip Sardesai the Cricketer, J.M. Carvalho the hockey player, Kishori Amonkar the classical vocalist, Dinanath Mangeshkar the Dramatist and classical vocalist, Oliver Sean the prominent Goan singer and songwriter, the TV and film actors such as Kimi Katkar, Varsha Usgaokar, Kartika Rane, Frank, and Dom Moraes the wizards of Fourth Estate, the famous Goan Ad man Frank Simoes who has written “Glad Season in Goa”, Jerry Pinto – poetry, Remo Fernandez the Bollywood singer and Goan musician are some of the prominent Goan celebrities.

 

GUZAARISH  -   The  Movie 

The film Guzaarish has a storyline of a world-famous magician, Ethan Mascarenhas ( Hrithik Roshan) has a fatal accidental fall during a magic performance and becomes a quadriplegic. His body starting from the neck is paralysed and he is bed-ridden and in a wheelchair. Ethan and his fight for justice to allow him mercy killing, the concept of “euthanasia” and the ensuing court battle, and the people around his life and times make “Guzaarish” an engaging and riveting view.


 

 

 

Ethan, now a Radio Jockey recruits Sophia D’Souza (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), married to Nevil D’Souza (Makarand Deshpande) as his nurse. Sophia obtains a divorce from her wife-beating and torturing husband and assures Ethan of her support in his fight for mercy killing. Ethan proposes to Sophia and she accepts his invitation to become his sweetheart. She has been Ethan’s life for twelve years. She brushes his teeth sponge bathes him and takes him for an outing in the natural splendor. This could be one of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s finest performances to date. On the 14th anniversary of his accident, Ethan decides to file an appeal for mercy killing which concept is known as “euthanasia” with the help of his friend cum lawyer Devyani Dutta (Shernaz Patel). Ethan’s mother Isabel Mascarenhas (Nafisa Ali) also supports his petition and her son’s demand for “euthanasia”. A young man Omar Siddique ( Aditya Roy Kapoor) enters Ethan’s life to learn magic from him. Ethan’s never-say-die attitude doctor Naik (Suhel Seth) tries to keep his life going. The special moments of his song at his mother's burial ground in a wheelchair and his farewell speech prepared for his last moments with the near and dear ones are remarkable for the execution of master craftsmanship for which Sanjay Leela Bhansali is famous. The scene where Ethan is lonely at the beach gazing at the vast ocean on a wheelchair and the waves caressing his feet is worth a mention. The pivotal character of Ethan and the inseparable people in his life contribute to the crux of the movie. The movie ends with Ethan’s emotional parting speech with a burst of heartfelt laughter and all his aides hugging him on the bed in harmony.

 

 

The movie has a length of 135 minutes duration. It is one of the best films with its cinematography. Hrithik Roshan gives one of his career-best performances in Guzaarish. The vintage Goan mansion with Gramaphone and Mother Mary’s portraits shows the Goan catholic culture in its festive best. The film has moved me and is undoubtedly one of the most creatively satisfying ventures. The cinema is the Director’s media and Sanjay Leela Bhansali reaffirms this popular belief with this film. The movie though not a commercial Blockbuster has received critical acclaim from critics across the world wherever it was screened.

 

Besides the natural beauty, fabulous beaches, and bright sunshine, travelers to Goa love the laid-back, peaceful, warm, and friendly nature of Goan people.



Goa undoubtedly is a place to relax under the sky on the planet Earth.