Goa Carnival 2013: Farhan Akhtar to perform at Goa Carnival

Bollywood actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar will swing and sing to the Goa Carnival mood, when the festival week opens up on the streets here next month.

This will be the second time that the star, whose film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a biopic on India’s greatest male athlete will be released shortly, will be in Goa for a live performance.

His first performance here was a live singing act at the Nokia India Fest 2013, a high profile inter-collegiate competition, which had educational institutions from all across the country participating.

“Farhan has confirmed his presence and will also ride on one of the carnival floats. There will also be singing by Anushka Manchanda, who also resides in Goa. Remo (Fernandes) and Wendell Rodricks will also be a part of the Goa carnival this time. They are Goa’s biggest stars,” a Goa Tourism spokesperson said.

Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar has already confirmed that Bollywood will have a significant presence at the carnival, which begins Feb 8. Among those who are expected to be present are actresses like Neha Dhupia, Isha Koppikar and Tanushree Dutta, he said.

For the week prior to the austere Christian season of Lent, the state celebrates ‘one last shot at having fun’ before the liquor bottles and beef and pork are stacked away as part of a 40-day period of religious penitence.

The event draws tourists from all over the country and the world, and features a package among several tour operators.

Goa’s carnival is similar to the carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and not quite unlike the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans and France. The parades involve the entire populace of the city pouring onto the streets to participate and to watch colourful parades of men and women in costumes and various whacky attires.

Goa’s colourful carnival processions, which are normally held in February before the holy season of Lent, are symbolic of the state’s colonial Portuguese legacy.

SOURCE: NDTV

Designer Umair Zafar’s glam line-up for La Mode Wedding Festival at Fahrenheit Hotels & Resorts

GOA NEWZ NETWORK

Fashion designer Umair Zafar has lined up a host of glam dolls to walk the ramp for the La Mode Wedding Festival at Fahrenheit Hotels and Resorts, Baga in Goa. While Umair Zafar was not ready to reveal the names of the models and actresses who would walk the ramp, a little birdie told us that Femina Miss India runner up Ridhima Pai, actresses Sakshi Pradhan, Gauhar Khan, Sayali Bhagat, Nisha Kothari and many more may walk the ramp at the super glam event.

Fahrenheit Hotels and Resorts, Baga is all set to host the La Mode Wedding Festival on 16th and 17th February this year. Says Mumbai-based celebrity fashion designer Umair Zafar, one of the main participants at the La Mode Wedding Festival, “All participating designers at the La Mode Wedding Festival are burning the mid-night oil, preparing exotic collections and other related bridal wear. About 20 designers from different parts of India are participating in this event and it will be a great collection of bridal wear all at one place. The event will also showcase other wedding-related participants like stylists, make up experts, jewelry and accessory designers etc. Some of the designers who have confirmed their participation include Verma Demello, Preeti Jhawar, Meghna Medhi and Tanuja from Guwhati. The bridal wear brand “The Miss” from Mumbai will also be part of the exhibition. Goan designer Wendell Rodrigues will not be able to participate due to prior commitments in Chennai during the same time.

La Mode International is one of India’s premier fashion and lifestyle magazines, since 1990 and has launched many faces in the past who were upcoming models and who are known names in Bollywood today for eg Malaika Arora Khan, Sushma Reddy, Namrata Shirodkar , Rahul Dev, Tisca Chopra, Priyanshu, Aryan Ved and many more. Besides well-known models (and now actors) like Arjun Rampal, Madhu Sapre, Milind Soman, Candice Pinto, Aanchal Kumar and many more were associated with La Mode International.

La Mode launched their E-magazine in 2003 along with the print edition. Says Baljeet Olhan, editor and publisher of La Mode International, “Considering the current global warming scenario and the Save the Planet campaign all over the world, we decided to support the Go Green Cause and from December 2012 completely eliminated the print edition. The magazine is now only in the E-mag version and is proud to present to Goa the first edition of the La Mode Goa Wedding Festival.”

A fashion show each day of the event will form the main attraction of the event which will be followed by an after party, explains Umair Zafar.

Goa eyes one million tourists during 3-day Goa Carnival

 

 

Press Trust Of India / Mumbai/ New Delhi Jan 26, 2013, 00:49 IST

 

 

Goa Tourism on Friday said it is targeting 10 lakh tourist arrivals during the forthcoming Goa Carnival which will be held from February 9 this year.

“We are aiming at least 1 million tourists to visit Goa during the forthcoming three-day Goa Carnival. We expect over two lakh tourists per day to visit the state during this period,” Goa Principal Secretary, Tourism, R K Verma said.

For the first time, the carnival will include food and cultural festival, which would start on February 8 and continue for the next five days, he added.
“Attracting tourists to Goa is important as tourism contributes 30-35 per cent to state domestic product,” Verma said. When asked about the number of tourists who visited the carnival last year, Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said, “Last year, most of the festivities were cancelled due to a school bus accident.”

As a new initiative this year, bollywood actors like Neha Dhupia, Sayali Bhagat and others have been roped in for the float parade in Panaji.

The festival as usual will feature four float parades in four cities, Panaji, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa, Goa tourism said.

On the initiatives being taken by the state government to attract tourists through out the year, Goa Tourism Development Corporation MD Nikhil Desai said, “Apart from the beaches of Goa we are also promoting heritage tourism, adventure tourism, festival tourism and western ghats tourism.” The government is also taking major initiatives for infrastructure development and capacity expansion, Parulekar said.

SOURCE: BUSINESS STANDARD

 

 

GBSA’s Wind Surfing Training Camp for youngsters from 1st to 30th April at Goa

 

GBSA’s Wind Surfing Training Camp from 1st to 30th April at Goa 

The Goa Beach Sports Academy (GBSA) in association with the Water & Beach Sports Promotion Forum has announced its annual wind surfing training camp at Dona Paula in Goa from 1^st April to 30^th April 2012. Headed and promoted by national windsurfing champion Donald Coelho, the GBSA will conduct the camp for youngsters in two categories – professional training for those aiming to participate in state or national level wind surfing or allied water sport competitions and amateur training for those who just want to learn the sport of wind surfing for the thrill that it offers. The camp is open to children from 10 years of age to adults of all ages who may just want to “try it out”.

A contest for camp participants both in the professional and amateur category will also be held which will culminate in the grand finale of the camp. The contest will be telecast live on all local TV channels in Goa and also on a couple of national and international channels. An added attraction will be a beach volleyball one-day-trial match and a weekend after party for participants and others, the details of which will be announced shortly.

Says promoter and brain behind the camp Donald Coelho, “Wind Surfing is a very thrilling activity and the purpose of the camp is to encourage children and youth to develop a competitive adventure spirit and introduce them to the world of water sports which is oft neglected in India. We also encourage corporates and philanthropists to come forward to financially support this camp so that it becomes affordable for everyone.”

The GBSA has written to the Tourism Departments of the Government of Goa and the Government of India for their support and stamp of approval on the event. “We are awaiting their reply,” explained Donald Coelho.

About Goa Beach Sports Academy (GBSA)

The Goa Beach Sport Academy has progressed – since its inception in 2008, at a pace which is commendable. Within three years of its existence the Goa Beach Sport Academy headed by National Windsurfing Champion Donald Coelho and assisted by International Surfer Charles Herbert Rodrigues has conducted several windsurfing camps promoting budding talent in the field of Beach Sport activity. The Academy has within its ranks Indian Badminton personality Mr. Anil Madgavkar who is also the pioneer of the Goa Yachting Association. The Academy has trained several youth during various camps that were organized in the field of Beach Sport Activity.

OBJECTIVES

The GBSA strives to promote the unique sport of wind surfing in a social, fun-loving environment. Safety being their first priority; they are well equipped with a rescue team and insurance. Involving local talent in all activity has been their duty and they strive to train participants to achieve greater heights in the field of beach sport activities.  The Club is committed to encouraging highest ethical standards.  To represent the interests of its members in the best way, the GBSA is affiliated with the Yachting Association of India, Goa Yachting Association, Board Sailing Association of India and other similar organizations.