Tag: Azad Maidan

Events in Goa

Heritage First Festival 2025 Begins, Showcasing Goa’s Cultural Richness Through 41 Walks & Workshops

allycaralgoa

Panaji, November 2025: The second edition of the Heritage First Festival, a flagship initiative by the not-for-profit collective Heritage First Goa (HFG), commenced on November 14 at Panaji’s Azad Maidan, setting in motion a vibrant three-week exploration of Goa’s living, built and natural heritage.

The festival’s inauguration brought together seasoned resource persons, affectionately called “pilots,” who will lead 41 expert-curated walks and workshops across Goa. These experiences aim to help residents and visitors rediscover the layered histories, cultural stories, ecosystems and architectural marvels that define Goa.

Stories, Memories and Reflections at the Inaugural

The opening ceremony featured insightful reflections from senior journalist and author Sandesh Prabhudesai, historian and academic Dr. Maria Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues, and writer Shylendra Mehta—each offering glimpses of Panaji’s past and its cultural evolution.

Rodrigues shared vivid memories of the Central Library as a hub of learning and community interaction, noting how the city’s urban design drew from Lisbon-style planning with squares, promenade spaces and evocatively named streets.

Prabhudesai stressed the importance of linguistic heritage, delivering his speech in Konkani. He recalled the powerful role of spaces around Azad Maidan—like Café Prakash and Varsha Bookstore—as incubators for discussions, debates and public movements that shaped Goa’s civic landscape.

Mehta, a long-time Panaji resident, reflected on the life of the common man in earlier decades and concluded with a poetic tribute to the Mandovi River by Pandurang Bhangi.

Walks and Workshops Across Goa

The festival’s programming delves deep into Goa’s cultural and ecological diversity through curated experiences led by experts such as:

  • Subodh Kerkar: Art and heritage walks
  • Kilian Hughes: Environmental and nature trails
  • Katrina Fernandez: Ecological explorations
  • Pritha Sardessai: Architectural trails

Participants can choose from trails such as:

  • Khazan ecosystem walk in Chorao
  • Village walk in Saligao
  • Chicalim caves walk
  • São Jacinto river island walk
  • Night trails through Panaji

Hands-on workshops further bring culture to life, including:

  • Kaavi art sessions by Darpana Athale
  • Kunbi weave sessions with Mahalaxmi Bhobe
  • A community kitchen experience in Chorao led by Amreen Sheikh
  • A poetry walk through Parra’s fields with Meera Ganpathi
  • Petroglyph workshop at Usgalimal by Onkar Kshirsagar

Community, Collaboration & Cultural Preservation

Founded by heritage advocates Heta Pandit, Jack Ajit Sukhija, and Snigdha Manchanda, Heritage First Goa continues its mission to highlight stories, influences and traditions that have shaped Goa’s identity over centuries.

“It’s encouraging to see people of all ages come forward to experience aspects of Goa’s heritage that may even surprise long-time residents,” said HFG co-founder Heta Pandit. “This festival is about sparking curiosity about our collective past and using that awareness to preserve it.”

A unique element this year is the community adoption model where participants and local patrons sponsor individual heritage walks—strengthening grassroots involvement and sustaining festival operations.

Each walk or workshop is capped at small group sizes to ensure meaningful engagement and protect heritage spaces. Tickets are priced at ₹750 per session, with advance registration mandatory.

With immersive storytelling, expert-led explorations and hands-on cultural experiences, the Heritage First Festival 2025 promises to take Goa on an unforgettable journey through its layered history and vibrant cultural fabric.

Social

Goa Animal Federation Demands Immediate Mass Sterilization of Community Dogs Following Supreme Court Relief

Tanisha Cardozo

On a warm Sunday afternoon at Azad Maidan, Panaji, a large crowd of dog lovers, activists, and concerned citizens gathered under the banner of the Goa Animal Federation (GAF) in a unified show of support for humane community dog management. The event, which served both as a protest and a thanksgiving to the Supreme Court of India, was attended by several hundred animal lovers, all echoing one central demand: mass sterilization and vaccination of community dogs must begin immediately across Goa.

Prominent voices in Goa’s animal welfare movement—including Advocate Norma Alvarez, singer Hema Sardesai, K.D. Row, Prakash Kamat, Dexter Braganza, and Fidoli Pereira—were present, alongside GAF members and NGO representatives. They extended heartfelt gratitude to the Supreme Court for its recent revised order, which offers a humane, scientific, and sustainable framework to address the stray dog issue across India.

According to GAF, Goa currently has a sterilization capacity of 15,000 dogs per year, a number maintained largely by private NGOs. However, to effectively manage the stray dog population, Goa must reach a target of 50,000 dogs sterilized annually. Only then can the state hope to reach an 80–90% sterilization rate within the next three years, which would naturally reduce the population over the next 5–6 years due to the dogs’ life cycle.

“This is a public safety, animal welfare, and community health issue. Without aggressive government intervention, we’re delaying the solution,” said a GAF spokesperson.

Beyond sterilization, the GAF has also called on the government to:

  • Install at least two animal body incinerators in Goa for safe and hygienic disposal
  • Fulfill its long-standing promise of a 24×7 ambulance and veterinary clinic for stray animals

These facilities, they argue, are essential for upholding humane standards while addressing public health concerns and ensuring dignity for animals—even in death.

The Goa Animal Federation, which includes major animal welfare organizations across the state, reiterated its commitment to a lawful, scientific, and compassionate approach in line with the Supreme Court’s directives.

Their goal is clear: ensure Goa sets an example for the rest of the country in resolving the stray dog issue not through violence or fear, but through compassion, planning, and responsibility.

“Dog lovers aren’t just emotional people—they are citizens fighting for a sustainable, safe, and humane solution,” the press release concluded.