The Festival Man of Goa

Marius Goencho Festakar” Fernandes rekindles the spirit of being Goan with a variety of round-the-year fests that celebrate the seaside state’s fading ethos

- SURUCHI KAPUR-GOMES

He calls himself "Festakar"-derivative of a Goan surname merging festival and the common Goan surname suffix 'kar'. Marius Goencho "Festakar" Fernandes is Goa's self-appointed revivalist, born in Kenya but always rooted in Goa. The 'festival whisperer' is the force behind curating 84 festivals in Goa; the Jackfruit Festival, the Poderanche fest, the Raponkar festival-all Goan, and only Goan.

At 40, he relocated to his ancestral home in Divar from the UK where he had a well paid job in British Telecom. That was 25 years ago. Festakar's is a dynamic legacy which is deeply embedded in rural Goa's norms and folklore. "Each village has a unique identity, story, culture, cuisine, and beliefs that should be kept alive," he says.

For instance, the Jackfruit Festival explores the agricultural history of the fruit grown in the state, and what it represents to Goans.