Goa Carnival 2009 India | Carnival in Goa

Goa carnival is one of the most popular festivals among foreign tourists in India. It is also a hot craze for among Indians too.

The most awaited of all festivals in Goa, the Goa Carnival is the ultimate time for enjoyment and merrymaking in Goa. Though essentially a Christian Festival, the colors of the festivals sees no religion and all the people living in Goa as well as the visitors traveling through this wonderful place get addicted to its extravaganza. Since the time when the Goa carnival was initiated by the Portuguese, this carnival in Goa has reached universal dimension and has been celebrated till today with no splendor and magnetism lost over the years.


Carnival in Goa is the time where you can feast, drinks and celebrate festival by your own way before the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. Large processions are carried out all over the state with live performances given by bands dancers, singers and musicians all night long on the streets of Goa. Grand balls are organized in the evenings. The carnival in Goa ends with the famous Red-and-Black Dance held by the Clube National in Panjim on the last day of the carnival.


It is Goa's most famous festival and has been celebrated since the 18th century. The carnival is held in February for three days and nights, when the legendary king Momo takes over the state and the streets come alive with music and color. These carnivals started in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, and gradually became known for their singing, dancing and drinking. The carnival is presided over by King Momo, who on the opening day orders his subjects to party.


Goa Carnival spells pure entertainment. From morning till dawn breaks the next day, there is dance, music, merry making, and drinking, eating and pure revelry. The carnival takes place on all streets and corners of Goa and brings together all who blend with the festivities and ceremonies. The Goa carnival is unique and is not celebrated anywhere else in India. Though at the time when the carnival of Goa was started, there were only limited participants, but over the years, after its revival, the barriers have broken and the zeal of the carnival has crossed all boundaries and is enjoyed by all. The Goa Government and the Municipal Councils also participate in this 3 day extravaganza along with the famous colorful precession of King Memo which attracts more and more people to Goa during the Goa Festival time.

Indian Crocodiles, Crocodiles in India

There are mainly three species of Indian Crocodile, namely, Mugger or Fresh Water crocodile, Estuarine crocodile and Gharial. All the three species were found in India.

Marsh crocodile, Mugger



Mugger crocodile belongs to the Crocodylidae Family and is scientifically known as Crocodylus palustris. Adult Mugger crocodiles of India are bright olive in color, while the young ones are on the paler side. The entire body is spotted with black and scaled. Outer toes as well as fingers are webbed at the base.

Common Names of Mugger
Mugger crocodiles of India are known by a number of other names also, like Iranian crocodiles, Marsh crocodiles, Indian Swamp crocodiles and Persian crocodiles.

Marsh crocodile is a freshwater species, which primarily occupies Indian lakes, rivers and marshes. It prefers slow-moving, shallower bodies of water and may be found in man-made reservoirs and irrigation canals also. Occasionally, the Mugger crocodiles of India may inhabit saltwater lagoons.

GHARIAL - GAVIALIS GANGETICUS




Common Names of Gharial
English: Indian gharial, Indian gavial, long-snouted crocodile. Hindi: Gharial. Bengali: Mecho kumhir. Oriya: Thantia kumhira, male: Ghadiala, female: Thantiana. Bihari: Nakar, Bashsoolia nakar.

Maximum reported length 6.75 m. Believed to attain a length of up to 8 m.

Northern India subcontinent: In India, they are found within the river systems of the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, and the Mahanadi, with small populations in the Kaladan.

Riverine - more adapted to an aquatic lifestyle in the calmer areas of deep, fast-moving rivers. The gharial is poorly equipped for locomotion on land. It usually only leaves the water to bask and nest, both of which usually occur on sandbanks.

Confined to the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra and the Mahanadi river systems in the Indian subcontinent. Once very common, increasing human use of rivers has restricted the gharial to a few remaining wild stretches of it former habitat. Presently the main habitat is the Chambal, Girwa, Rapti and Narayani rivers of the Ganges system. The species is now rare and endangered.

SALTWATER CROCODILE - Crocodylus Porosus


Common Names of Crocodylus Porosus
English: Saltwater Crocodile, Estuarine Crocodile. Oriya: Baula kumbhira, Kuji Khumbhiora. Hindi, Gujarat, Marathi: Muggar. Bengali: Kuhmir. Kannada: Mossalay. Tamil: Muthalai. Telugu: Moseli. Malayalam: Muthala, Cheengkani.

Probably the largest of the present day reptiles. The largest skull available measures 1 metre in length and it is believed to have belonged to a specimen of about 7 metres in length. Specimens over 5 m in length have been obtained in the Sunderbans and in Orissa river estuaries but are now exceedingly rare. A 4.5 m long captive specimen weighed 408 kg.

In India, the estuarine crocodile is restricted in its distribution to the tidal estuaries, marine swamps, coastal brackish water lakes and lower reaches of the larger rivers. The saltwater crocodile has a vast geographical range that extends from Cochin on the west coast of India to the Sunderbans in West Bengal and to the Andaman Islands. Single individuals can be found some distance from their usual range as they can travel long distances (over a thousand km) by sea. Barnacles have been found on the scales of a few stray individuals. This sea-faring ability probably helps to explain their wide distribution.

Leopard in India, Indian Leopard

Indian leopard is one of the 8-9 valid leopard subspecies found throughout the world. Known by the scientific name of Panthera pardus, it is the fourth largest of the four 'big cats' of the Panthera genus. At the same time, leopards are also the fifth largest of all cat species. The name 'Leopard' has been derived from a combination of two Greek and Latin words leo and pard, 'leo' meaning lion and 'pard' meaning panther. This name was given to the animal since it was initially believed to be crossbreed of a lion and a panther.

Physical Traits
As far as the length of the Indian leopard is concerned, it may be anywhere between one meters and two meters. Their average weight hovers somewhere around 30 kg and 70 kg (65 lbs to 155 lbs). Leopards have a heavy and sturdy body and their head is larger in proportion to their body. The coat of a leopard is covered with rosettes and they can climb trees with effortless ease. The cubs of a leopard have longer and thicker fur than the adults and even their pelage is grayer.


Behavior
Indian leopards are nocturnal creatures and are considered to be one of the most surreptitious animals. They can easily make themselves undetected, even while living proximate to human settlements. Leopards are very good swimmers, but lead a solitary life. Occasionally, one can find them roaming in a group of 3 to 4 animals. They have an acute sense of hearing, along with sharp eyesight.

Diet
Leopards are carnivores and eat almost every animal, ranging from monkeys to reptiles to fish. Infact, it is believed that they hunt from amongst 90 species of animals. Injured, sickly or struggling leopards, with a shortage of prey, may even hunt humans.


Current Status and Threats
The worldwide population of leopards is considered to be around 50,000. Nevertheless, the population of the 'Big Cat' has been decreasing at quite a rapid pace in all the countries, including India. The major reasons for this are their large-scale poaching as well as destruction of their natural habitat by humans. The subspecies that have been declared as endangered are Amur, Anatolian, Barbary, North Chinese and South Arabian Leopards.


Source :- http://www.iloveindia.com/wildlife/indian-wild-animals/leopard/index.html