Panaji: The second edition of the Aboliachem Fest will be held at the Nirmala Institute of Education (NIE), Altinho, Panaji, on February 9. The festival, which aims to celebrate the abolim flowers, will feature folk and cultural performances and a demonstration on medicinal plants. Another highlight will be stalls featuring local Goan dishes.
The event will commence at 10 am with a theme song, especially curated by the students and staff of the institute.
A fancy dress competition for school children will also be hosted.
“Abolim are popularly used by Goan women in religious rituals and also as a hair adornment,” said former principal and director at NIE, Rita Paes.
Heritage activists in the state have requested the Goa government to grant abolim the status of state flower.
Speaking about the festival being a common platform to bring together students and the community together, NIE principal Delia Antao said, “A number of stalls at the festival will showcase and feature the various cultural traditions of the state.”
Also in focus this year will be the coconut tree. “Over the past few decades, focus has shifted from horticulture crops to ornamental plants. Here, we will highlight the social, cultural and economic significance of the coconut tree,” said lecturer, Alisha D’Cunha.