Tag: Travel

Special Occasion

It’s 11.11: Singles’ Day 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

It’s 11.11: Singles’ Day 2025 marks one of the most anticipated dates on the global calendar — a day that blends shopping, self-love, and cultural celebration. What started in the 1990s as a lighthearted student holiday in China has become the world’s largest online shopping event. The date, 11.11, chosen for its four solitary digits, symbolizes individuality and self-empowerment.

By 2009, Alibaba transformed Singles’ Day into a shopping spectacle, encouraging people to treat themselves. Over time, it expanded far beyond China’s borders. In 2025, Singles’ Day has grown into a multi-week retail extravaganza, with discounts, livestreams, and global participation from major platforms like JD.com, Lazada, and Shopee. This year’s festival features advanced AI-driven recommendations, virtual influencers, and interactive shopping experiences that redefine digital commerce.

But 11.11 isn’t just about shopping — it’s about cultural expression. On the same day in South Korea, millions celebrate Pepero Day, exchanging slender, chocolate-dipped biscuits that resemble the four “1”s in the date. What began as a simple marketing campaign in the 1990s has become a national day of affection, where couples, friends, and even classmates gift Pepero sticks to show love and appreciation.

In 2025, Pepero Day has gone global, with Stray Kids taking center stage as the official global ambassadors for Pepero. Their campaign — “Show Your Love with Pepero” — has captivated fans worldwide, featuring special edition packaging, pop-up events, and global marketing spanning cities from Seoul to New York. The K-pop group’s energy and connection with Gen Z have amplified Pepero Day’s reach, transforming it from a local tradition into an international celebration of love and friendship.

Together, Singles’ Day and Pepero Day turn November 11 into a global celebration of connection in every form — self-love, friendship, and romance. While shoppers in China fill virtual carts, people in South Korea fill hearts (and hands) with chocolate. The parallel celebrations highlight how one date can carry entirely different yet harmonious meanings across cultures.

In 2025, Singles’ Day reflects changing consumer behavior. With economic challenges reshaping spending habits, shoppers are becoming more mindful, prioritizing essentials, personal care, and quiet luxury. Livestream hosts and influencers continue to play a major role, blending entertainment and commerce, while sustainability takes center stage with eco-friendly packaging and greener logistics.

From shopping carts to chocolate boxes, November 11 symbolizes the joy of giving — to others and to oneself. It’s 11.11, and the world is celebrating in its own unique way — with deals, with love, and with a shared sense of connection that transcends borders.

EduConnect

Blossoming Marigolds: Sharada Higher Secondary School Students Lead Agricultural Initiative in Nagzar

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

In the Nagzar area of Bhendale Vajri Pedne, a remarkable initiative has brought education, agriculture, and community together. With the active cooperation of students from Sharada Higher Secondary School’s Agriculture Department, local villagers, and the support of the Water Resources and Agricultural Departments, a marigold cultivation project was successfully executed. Known for being low-cost, low-maintenance, and reliably productive, marigolds were chosen as the crop for this venture.

The timing of the cultivation was strategic, coinciding with the festive season of Dussehra, Diwali, and Tulsi Vivah, periods when the demand for marigold flowers is at its peak. The planning involved assessing market needs and ensuring that the flowers were harvested and sold at the right time to maximize both yield and profitability. Through this initiative, students not only learned how to grow a crop efficiently but also experienced firsthand the economic aspects of agricultural production and market sales.

Guidance throughout the project was provided by Agriculture Department teachers, including Mrs. Vrunda Naik, Ms. Shreya Bhendalkar, and Mr. Shamba Marathe, who taught students how to cultivate marigolds according to local environmental conditions. This hands-on approach to learning helped students gain practical skills that complement their formal academic education, emphasizing the importance of connecting theory with real-world experience.

The project also highlighted the value of community collaboration. Local villagers, alongside the Water Resources and Agricultural Departments, actively participated and appreciated the efforts of the students. Principal Mr. Gajanan Marathe noted that such experiential learning initiatives help maintain students’ connection with the soil and foster a deeper understanding of agriculture, ensuring that traditional knowledge and modern education work hand in hand.

By combining education, practical skills, and community engagement, this marigold cultivation project stands as a shining example of how schools can empower students to learn, earn, and grow in harmony with their environment.

Events in Goa

The Legends of Khasak: A Spellbinding Journey into Magical Realism at Serendipity Arts Festival 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

This December, Goa’s riverfront city of Panjim will come alive as the Serendipity Arts Festival celebrates its tenth milestone edition from December 12 to 21, 2025. Among the highlights of this year’s festival is The Legends of Khasak, an immersive Malayalam-language theatrical production that promises to transport audiences into a world of magical realism.

Curated by renowned theatre scholar Anuradha Kapur and directed by celebrated Kerala-based theatre director Deepan Sivaraman, the play is an adaptation of O.V. Vijayan’s groundbreaking novel Khasakkinte Itihasam (The Legends of Khasak). It will debut in Goa for the first time with performances scheduled from December 17 to 20 at 6:30 PM at the Sports Authority of Goa ground.

Set against the backdrop of a riverside playground, The Legends of Khasak is designed as a sensorial and philosophical experience rather than a conventional stage play. The production blends fire, water, soil, scent, fog, and the vast open sky into its narrative, creating a powerful, immersive environment. Drawing from Kerala’s traditional art forms such as Theyyam, puppetry, and mask performance, the play unfolds the story of a young man who arrives in a remote Kerala village to teach, only to be drawn into its mythical, dreamlike landscape where reality and imagination intertwine.

According to Festival Director Smriti Rajgarhia, the open-air performance “unfolds like a dream, supported by a rich sensory experience.” It uses the natural elements of the environment as part of the storytelling, challenging the boundaries between theatre, ritual, and the viewer’s imagination.

The production features a stellar ensemble, including P.C. Gopala Krishnan, K.V. Krishnan Mash, P. Baskaran Master, Kumar Pariyacheri, and C.K. Sudheer, with music by Chandran Veyyattummal. Together, they create an atmosphere where folklore, philosophy, and emotion merge to form an unforgettable artistic journey.

Now in its tenth year, the Serendipity Arts Festival stands as one of South Asia’s largest multidisciplinary cultural events. The 2025 edition marks a decade of creativity, cultural exchange, and community engagement through visual arts, music, theatre, dance, design, photography, and culinary arts. Over 300,000 square feet of heritage venues across Panjim—from the Old GMC Complex to Kala Academy—will transform into spaces of imagination and collaboration.

Registrations for the festival are now open, inviting audiences from across the world to join this ten-day celebration of art, culture, and creative exploration.

Human Interest

Goa Weekend Rescues: Drishti Marine Lifesavers Save 12, Aid Monkey-Attack Victim at Dudhsagar

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Over the weekend, Drishti Marine lifesavers demonstrated exceptional courage and efficiency, rescuing twelve individuals from potentially life-threatening situations across Goa’s beaches and providing urgent first aid to a tourist injured at Dudhsagar waterfalls.

At Dudhsagar waterfalls, a 28-year-old man from Hyderabad suffered injuries after being attacked by a monkey, which caused him to fall and cut his left hand. Lifesavers promptly administered first aid and handed him over to his companion. Elsewhere, a 32-year-old tourist from Andhra Pradesh was rescued from drowning after jumping into water without a lifejacket, with lifesaver Babu Gavli rushing in with a rescue tube to bring him safely ashore.

On Sinquerim beach, three members of a family from Gujarat were swept by a large wave, prompting lifesaver Anand Rawool, assisted by Divakar Desai, Santosh Linda, Jimdar Karai, and Mangesh Gawas, to coordinate a successful rescue using a rescue tube. A similar rescue was carried out at Candolim beach when a 30-year-old man from Bengaluru was caught in a rip current 70 meters offshore. Lifesaver Roshan K., with support from Nanda Sawant on a jet ski, brought him safely to shore.

On Calangute beach, a group of four children faced panic after two went missing while playing. Lifesaver Suraj Sawant alerted supervisor Vinod Gaonkar, who immediately launched a search operation using the patrol vehicle. The missing children were soon found on another stretch of the beach and reunited safely with their group.

Baga beach saw lifesavers Biliyam Surim and Jitendra Giri rescue a 56-year-old man from Kerala caught in a rip current. Similarly, at Vagator beach, two minor boys aged 14 and 15 were rescued from a rip current by lifesavers Yashwant Kurle and Sachin Naik. Lifesavers also attended to a 12-year-old boy who accidentally swallowed water while playing, ensuring his transfer to a medical facility via ambulance.

Miramar beach witnessed the successful tracing of a missing child by lifesaver Ramesh Bhomkar, who reunited the distressed child with their parents using the tower’s loudspeaker for coordination. At Benaulim beach, lifesaver Siddhesh Gaonkar rescued a 29-year-old woman from Bengaluru who drifted 50 meters offshore while using a bodyboard.

Palolem beach incidents included the rescue of a 70-year-old tourist from South Korea by lifesaver Kalpesh Pagi and a 38-year-old man from Pune by lifesavers Jeeva Gaonkar and Nilesh Velip. At Agonda beach, a 76-year-old man from the UK was rescued from a rip current by lifesaver Bhikesh Velip, with assistance from Nilesh Galankar on a jet ski.

Through swift coordination, vigilance, and expert lifesaving skills, Drishti Marine teams ensured the safety of tourists and locals alike, showcasing professionalism and dedication in every rescue operation across Goa over the weekend.

Events in Goa

MOG Celebrates 10 Years with Landmark ‘Festivals of Goa’ Exhibition

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The Museum of Goa (MOG) is commemorating a decade of creativity, innovation, and cultural dialogue with Festivals of Goa, a landmark exhibition that runs from November 9, 2025, to January 18, 2026, at its Pilerne campus. Featuring over 100 artists and more than a hundred works, this ambitious exhibition provides a unique lens through which visitors can explore Goa’s rich cultural fabric, evolving identity, and abundant diversity.

Curated under four simultaneous shows within the broad theme of Festivals of Goa, the exhibition examines shared histories, interfaith practices, and the ways in which traditions have adapted to modernity. Visitors can experience Goa’s festivals not just as cultural spectacles, but as vibrant spaces of memory, identity, and community expression. Sharada Kerkar, Director of MOG, emphasizes that the exhibition aims to reveal both widely celebrated and lesser-known festivals, offering insight into over 30 different festivities across the state.

The exhibition features works by noted Goan artists including Ramdas Gadekar, Viraj Naik, Chaitali Morajkar, Harshada Kerkar, Siddesh Chari, Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal, Verodina Ferrao De Sousa, Asavari Gurav, Daniel D’Souza, and Nalini Elvino de Sousa, among others. Through photography, collaborative installations, multimedia artworks, and a children’s art show, Festivals of Goa reflects on the power of art to bridge communities and transform society. Subodh Kerkar, founder of MOG, underscores that the museum’s mission is to democratize contemporary art and create a space where the diverse voices of Goa can be heard freely.

The exhibition is divided into distinct sections to illuminate different aspects of Goan festivities. Where We Gather presents collaborative community projects, including a Narakasur, a crochet Christmas tree, and a giant Matoli, emphasizing the unifying power of community-based art practices. Festivals as Playgrounds, a children’s art exhibition curated by the museum’s Children’s Art Studio, explores creativity, community, and celebration from the perspective of young artists. Side by Side, curated by MOG, examines artistic responses to known and lesser-known festivals, offering insights into Goan society. Finally, The Seen/Unseen photo exhibition, curated by Prashant Panjiar, Indrajit Khambe, and Sharada Kerkar, reveals the labor, anticipation, and devotion behind the celebrations, offering a nuanced view beyond the spectacle.

The preview night set the tone for this landmark exhibition, featuring performances by celebrated Goan singer Sonia Shirsat and local band Roz Angon. Nilankur Das, Collaborations and Engagements Lead for MOG, reflected on the museum’s journey, noting that what began as a dream has grown into a dynamic space where artists, thinkers, students, and visitors intersect to engage with Goa’s histories, contradictions, and celebrations.

Since its establishment in 2015, MOG has emerged as a vibrant platform for artistic expression, collaborating with over 500 artists globally and hosting more than 600 exhibitions and events. The museum welcomes around 70,000 visitors annually, including 12,000 students from Goan schools, fostering a deep connection between contemporary art and the local community.

Festivals of Goa is open to visitors from November 9, 2025, to January 18, 2026, offering a once-in-a-decade opportunity to experience the state’s cultural richness, artistic diversity, and communal spirit at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne.