Evelyn Siqueira
Goans acquire a joie de vivre, that's typical of them, from the simple pleasures of life. Here’s a quick rundown of a few…
Feni, that heady, local drink, is made from the cashew fruit. Urrak is another popular tipple from Goa.
Goans love to sing, and will find any reason to break into song, so much so that different occasions have their own special songs, such as ovis, mando, fado, ladainha etc.
Dance is an inseparable element of the cultural ethos of Goa. There’s always an opportunity to move to the rhythm in Goa, where there are many dances with Dhalo, Fugdi and Corredinho being some of them.
Where there’s music and dance, musical instruments can’t be too far behind, and the favourite local percussion instrument for all seasons and reasons is the ghumot.
With feasts and festivals happening year round, Goan celebrations are a time for family and community to get together and revel in the camaraderie – and keep tradition alive while they’re at it.
Goans love their awesome cuisine just as much as the rest of the world does, if not more. Even the humble Goan fish-curry-rice is something that the average Goan takes delight in.
Football-crazy Goa has produced a number of top-notch footballers such as Brahmanand Sankhwalkar and Bruno Coutinho, both of who are Arjuna awardees.