Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: Holi celebrations in Vasco began on a spiritual note Tuesday morning, with traditional prayers at the revered Shri Damodar Temple setting the tone for a day that blended devotion with vibrant festivity.
The customary rituals were led by Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar and Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, who also heads the Murgao Nagrik Shigmotsav Samiti. Committee members and hundreds of devotees gathered at the temple premises, where chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Shree Ramanath Damodar Maharaj ki Jai” resonated as people applied colours to one another, symbolising the triumph of good over evil.
Following the prayers, a music-laden truck accompanied by a live band rolled through the city, drawing enthusiastic crowds. Revellers danced along the procession route, celebrating in a spirit of communal harmony. Youths on bikes and open jeeps, faces splashed with bright hues, added to the carnival-like atmosphere.
The festive mood extended to the coastline, with large gatherings reported at Hollant, Bogmalo and Baina beaches, where families and tourists joined in the celebrations.
Addressing the media, Krishna Salkar emphasised that Holi is a festival that transcends religious boundaries and fosters unity. He called upon people to symbolically “burn negativity” and embrace new beginnings. Sankalp Amonkar highlighted that commencing Holi with prayers to Lord Damodar is a long-standing tradition in the port town and expressed hope for peace, unity and harmony among all communities.
