Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: The popular Lokosthav-25 festival, organised annually by the Adarsh Yuva Sangh, has been postponed due to the Model Code of Conduct enforced for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections. The event, earlier scheduled for 19th–21st December, will now be held from January 9th to 11th, 2026.
Announcing the decision at a press conference, Organising Committee Chairman and Minister for Arts & Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs and Tribal Welfare Ramesh Tawadkar said the MCC in place for the December 20 ZP polls necessitated the rescheduling. “Given the election schedule and the code of conduct, Lokosthav-25 has been postponed to January 9, 10 and 11,” Tawadkar confirmed.
He added that all activities planned for the event will continue as per their corresponding day-wise line-up.
Day 1 will feature competitions for Taluka-level pre-primary and primary students, including Fancy Dress, Group Dance, Drawing, Storytelling, along with High School-level Group Dance, Patriotic Song group singing, posters, mime, monologue, ghumat arti, quiz, rangoli and elocution.
Day 2 will host High School-level competitions in Group Dance, Patriotic Song group singing, posters, mime, monologue, ghumat arti, quiz, rangoli and elocution.
Day 3 will see Higher Secondary events such as Rangoli, Street Play, Poem Presentation, Face Painting, Dandiya/Garba, Solo Singing and Solo Dance. Open category competitions—including Rangoli, Street Play, Poem Presentation, Face Painting, Dandiya/Garba, Solo Singing, Solo Dance, Stand-up Comedy and Karaoke Singing—will also take place.
Tawadkar further revealed that an invitation will once again be extended to President of India Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate Lokosthav-25. The President was originally scheduled to arrive in Goa on December 18 and inaugurate the festival before departing the next evening, but her visit now stands postponed. “I will personally travel to New Delhi to invite the President again for the new dates,” Tawadkar said.
