Festival celebrated on the fourth Saturday of August every year at Divar island
Mumbai| July 18, 2013: Goa is now geared up organize the Bonderam festival, which is celebrated in the island of Divar, located 12 kms from Panjim city, on the fourth Saturday of August. This year the festival falls on August 24, 2013.
The name Bonderam originates from ‘Bandeira’ – the Portuguese word for flag. During the Portuguese rule there were frequent disputes between the villagers on the Divar island over property issues. Thus the Portuguese introduced a system by putting up flags to demarcate the boundaries.
The otherwise laidback island of Divar comes alive on the day of the Bonderam festival. The day begins with a Flag Parade from the main Divar junction, which is accompanied by a Brass Band. After this the Bonderam festival is officially declared open. Later in the day there is a fancy dress competition followed by the traditional float parade and a live musical performance featuring the famous music bands of Goa.
Shri. Dilip Parulekar, Minister for Tourism, Goa, said, “We are happy to promote this annual festival on the Divar island which showcases our rich Goan history and culture. There will be colorful décor, flag parades, floats, music and revelry all over the island during this time. We welcome all tourists to experience this traditional festival.”