São João

Celebrated every June 24th in Goa, São João is one of India's most exhilarating monsoon festivals. Honouring the birth of St. John the Baptist, the festival sees young men leap into overflowing wells wearing vibrant fruit-laden crowns called kopels, while decorated boat parades called Sangodds glide down rain-swollen rivers. Folk music, traditional Goan cuisine, and feni flow freely across coastal villages. A rare blend of Portuguese Catholic heritage and Indian monsoon spirit.