Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: While the Carnival celebration began with drumbeats rocking the air since Friday, traditional ‘Intruz’ revellers’ passion has come alive only from Sunday.
The ‘Mell’, led by groups of youngsters mostly consisting of a residential ward, goes around and visits door to door of their members and others in many parts of Canacona taluka.
‘It is traditionally a rich ethnic practice started by our great-great forefathers to come together and enrich the localities’, stated one of a youngster who was at the forefront of reviving the intruz celebration of the ward he is living in.
Various groups of Mel’s begin their day Intruz celebrations on Sunday, visit house-to-house and play at the respective ‘Mand’ of the other group/Ward as part of traditional Carnival celebrations in Canacona.
Whenever the group come-a-cross a Chappel or Holy Cross, the group stops to recite a special prayer for the welfare of parishioners and the Souls of people from the respective ward.
Similarly, during house-to-house visits, Mel plays songs at the beats of Tanso, Dhol and Kansali. However, if the household is mourning, prayers are said for the departed soul of the family member and for the welfare of residents.
While the Carnival floats are mainly restricted to urban areas, with the beginning of revelries at Panjim on Saturday, the traditional Intruz celebrations begin only on Sunday,
Palolem had the Carnival celebration on Saturday evening, while most other rural areas such as Agonda, some areas in Khola, Loliem -Polem, and Poinguinim, including a few more areas over the years, have revived the age-old tradition of Intruz in their localities.
At Agonda alone, amongst the previous six groups, as many as five Mells were taken out from their respective ‘Mand’s’ located in their wards on Sunday itself and will continue till Tuesday midnight.
As for Agonda, most of The ‘Mells’ makes it a point to visit the miraculous Holy Cross at Vall before winding up the Intruz celebrations.
Playing ‘Dhol’, ‘Tanso’ and ‘Kansali’, the ethnic type of playing instruments for Intruz, the group performs folklore songs in the house courtyard while the inmates welcome the group with the bursting of firecrackers.
As a customary practice, households offer snacks, drinks or sweets, while a few who invite the groups to perform at their places reciprocate by financial gratification for playing at their doorsteps.
The three days Intruz revellers are performed only to culminate by Tuesday midnight.
Besides, Agonda, some of the groups at Ponsulem, Bhatpal, Galgibaga, Chiplem and Loliem-Polem continue to keep this ethnic tradition alive by taking out ‘Mell’ as part of Intruz celebrations.
Meanwhile, a few Khel-Tiatr are also scheduled at some villages in Canacona.
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