“Let the rain kiss you. Let it fall on you with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”
No one loves the rain like the Goans do. As monsoons arrive in Goa around the first week of June, the festival of Sao Joao is celebrated all over to welcome its entry into the state.
Sao Joao is one of the oldest festivals in Goa. The legend goes like this, San Joao or St John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ in the River Jordan and since then locals jump into the well singing ‘Sao Joao’ to signify the joy felt by St. John when he sensed the presence of Jesus Christ.
The monsoons therefore hold great significance in Goa as the locals, the youth mostly, wait for the rains to take a dip in wells and celebrate the event. This year Sao Joao festival will be celebrated on the 24th of June with great pomp and show. During the carnival various games like the float competition and banging the ‘Pedeas’ with kopel around the head will be organized.
“Rainfall has mainly been heavy in the last few weeks in Goa and Konkan. Though it is weak at present, it may soon gain strength after the 23rd of June. We are expecting up to 60mm of rain in Goa on the 24th. Westerlies from the sea could be strong at 40kmph”, informs Mahesh Palawat, head of the Met team at Skymet Weather.
Unpredictable rains threaten to play spoilsport every year in Goa. In 2006, Goa Tourism Development Corporation therefore hit upon the idea of having artificial showers onboard its river cruise vessel, Santa Monica, to celebrate the annual rural feast of Sao Joao as there was very little rain. But thankfully this year will not be one of those. Last year, Goa witnessed heavy downpour of 86mm on the day of Sao Joao.
The festival’s theme for this year will be ‘Every Drop Counts’. Many will prefer to spend the day in an eco-friendly manner and wear flowery kopels to support the theme.
Heavy showers, strong winds, an overcast sky and excitement in the air will be the mood of weather this Sao Jao.
Photo by Joegoauk20.
