Anoop Negi's photostream  

It is the season for carnivals all over the world wherever they take place.

Much fanfare.

Goa has one too. A small and punchy version with lots of thumping music and dances and some rather not so imaginative or slick floats. I guess there is not enough vision out there to make it an event of a great magnitude.

A fair sprinkling of boring to fun and it takes on bright colors and hues and some loud raucous music.

I have often wondered how the Goa carnaval would be if it acquired the signature notes and flowing tones of tall energetic girls waving their hands and legs in their warm smiles and twirling dresses.

Methinks it goes rather well and I do sincerely hope that there are more enterprising groups in Goa who can carry the event forward with more vigour and vim and chutzpah, of course with trained performers to give the carnaval a trendy rhythm and beat and flair

Dates
Taken on February 13, 2010 at 5.47pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr February 12, 2012 at 1.03AM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/4.0
Focal Length 12 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
_DSC9694 nef cu silef hicontra SL

The carnival in Goa is no Rio
Go no further then staid dressing. Mundane themes and poorly chosen songs and dance routines. NOt even worthwhile as a poor man's Rio.

Some individual acts are pretty good though. Hard to find but oh yeah they do exist.

It is fun though. The sun is warm and shining. The streets are full. Some pop music blares and there is a profusion of color

Here are some poseurs practicing Rio in Goa

Dates
Taken on February 13, 2010 at 3.18pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr February 10, 2012 at 10.35PM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture f/4.5
Focal Length 15 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
_DSC9234 nef nikbnw SL sm tfm color corr

It was the month of February,
Warm mellow and pleasant
Goa had the air of a blushing houri
And ritual God was in moda Carnevale.

In the west, the sun fell down into the sea
On land, in the little village of Saligao
A man slowly lumbered up from behind a tree
If he muttered expletives, I have no idea now.

He approached his Maker in thespian grace
Pirouetted suddenly as if in a comical daze
He turned back slowly, and re approached his God
Opened out his arms wide in a sweeping embrace.

That is when I shot this unearthly sight
I pondered what ailed this human being
Was it his family, that led him to this plight
Or was he just happy and blissfully seeing
Things and visions that you and I, never imagined

Dates
Taken on February 9, 2010 at 7.02pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr February 9, 2012 at 5.11PM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture f/3.5
Focal Length 18 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
_DSC9168 nef cu niksil noir2 over sh

Now Rio is really far
it takes 48 hrs to fly there
and Bom Jesus ever farther
It takes an eternity to understand

Now, not too far from where I once lived
Some children motioned their arms
Made Circles, Playing Jesus, Praying Jesus
or was it merely some song and dance
from the dark realm of Bollywood charm !

In the dark gloomy light of the day
I wondered when that song would play
That talked of whores and globalisation
social upliftment, death and modernisation.

Maybe a shard of lightning
From a pilloried God
Would save the world
But, there is no such fun,
In Ramanagaram !

Dates
Taken on May 21, 2010 at 1.10pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr February 7, 2012 at 9.25AM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture f/4.0
Focal Length 29 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
_DSC5365 nef bnw nik

Serenity !

At Meherabad the serenity suffuses you with graceful ease. The earth underfoot, a iron ore red and the big trees above. No blaring sounds of worship or a cacophony of bystanders plying their trade.

It is a place to immerse yourself in you or in the state of not being in existence at all.

Meher Baba never liked proselytizing at all--”Let your life itself be My Message of Love and Truth,” He would so often say--but in the interest of providing more information here is a web resource for more details ( courtesy Rick Chapman)

www.meherbabainformation.org/content.asp

Dates
Taken on February 16, 2011 at 2.56pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr February 4, 2012 at 3.14PM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture f/16.0
Focal Length 12 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
_DSC9658 nef cu tfm sh