The Sao Joao festival, celebrated by Catholic Christians by jumping into wells and ponds, is held in which state?

Sao Joao is a lively festival celebrated by the Catholic community of Goa every year on 24 June. It marks the feast of Saint John the Baptist (Sao Joao in Portuguese) and is celebrated during the monsoon, when wells, ponds and streams are full of water.

The festival is linked with a story from the Bible. When Mary, the mother of Jesus, visited her relative Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John, the unborn John is said to have leapt with joy in his mother's womb. To recall this joyful leap, young men in Goa jump into wells, ponds and streams, shouting "Viva Sao Joao!". On this day, people wear colourful crowns or wreaths made of flowers, leaves and fruits, called "kopels", on their heads. They go from house to house, singing songs and receiving gifts of fruits, sweets and drinks. In many villages, people organise boat processions with decorated boats and rafts, and there are music, dancing and feasting. Newly married men are traditionally welcomed by their in-laws with special gifts and a feast. The festival is celebrated with special energy in the villages of north Goa, such as Siolim, where a famous boat festival is held.

Goa was ruled by Portugal for about 450 years, from 1510 until it became part of India in 1961. This long period of Portuguese rule left a strong mark on Goan culture, and Goa has many festivals with Portuguese and Catholic roots, such as the Goa Carnival, the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the Sangodd (feast of Saints Peter and Paul), and the Konsachem Fest (harvest festival). The Shigmo and Ganesh Chaturthi are important Hindu festivals of Goa.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kerala has large Christian communities, but Sao Joao is a Goan festival.
• ✗Mizoram is a largely Christian state, known for festivals such as Chapchar Kut.
• ✗Puducherry was a French colony, not a Portuguese one.