Cochin Carnival.

Fort Kochi is decked up to welcome people from all over the world for the Cochin Carnival. The origins of the carnival go way back - to the 16th century - when the area was a Portuguese colony.

It's the Europeans who started celebrating New Year on 01 January. The Portuguese introduced the annual tradition of year-end galas to the island city. And the locals kept up the custom as the Vasco da Gama Square in Fort Kochi became synonymous with the carnival.

 

Local residents have been celebrating the New Year with their families for centuries. Clubs turned it into a grand celebration a few decades ago. They started marking the end of the year with the burning of Pappanji. And then, the UN designated 1985 as the "International Year of the Youth". It all began when some local youths decided to be part of the global celebration.

Inspired by the UN announcement, three youngsters - George Augustine Thundiparambil, Ananda Felix Scaria and Antony Anup Scaria - decided to organise a beach festival with the slogan 'Adventure and Environment'. Inspired by the New Year celebrations of the Portuguese, they shaped the festival into a significant cultural event and called it Carnivale Cochin. 

Over time, the event came to be known as Cochin Carnival with people from around the world congregating at the parade Ground to witness burning of Pappanji and usher in the New Year.

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle before 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

Anand, Letha's son, spoke to us as he leaves for Lagos, Nigeria on 03 Jan.

A quiet Saturday.