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WEEKEND UPDATES

Sept 12- Sept 18, 2026, WEEKEND UPDATES September 11, 2026 , by

`BAPPA AYLO RE!’

GOA is all set for the Chovoth or Ganesh festival which starts on Monday, September 14. But the Lord Ganesh murti or idol actually arrives at the doorstep on Sunday, September 13. Lord Ganesh has to wait for the green signal from bhatji to enter the house. Since several lakh Hindu homes celebrate Chovoth there is a desperate shortage of bhatjis so they have to be imported in large numbers from Udupi and Gokarna.

Goa’s unique aarti for Lord Ganesh is the “ghumat aarti.” The Sarvajanik Ganesh in Panaji is sponsored by the Goa Police. This year the Ganesh Mandal lottery folk have been offering 2BHK flats as the top price for the Ganesh festival.

SHOWER OF PRAMOD BLESSINGS!

IN the run up to Chovoth the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government has announced a hike of its doles under the Griha Aadhar and DSS schemes. The Griha Aadhar or inflation allowance will go out from Rs1,500 to Rs2,000 while the DSS will be up from Rs2,000 to Rs 2,500. All Goan households including existing beneficiaries of DSS and Griha Aadhar will get an additional Rs3,000 under the Ujwala scheme.

In the case of the Ujwala scheme there is no income limit and everyone with a gas card can apply. The government has allotted Rs100 crore for the gifting of three gas cylinders to every household in Goa.

CELEBRATING THE NEW BRIDGE

TOURISM Minister Rohan Khaunte, who represents Porvorim in the Legislative Assembly, had a huge fest on Thursday, September 10 evening on the new super elevated six-lane highway flying across Porvorim. The new Porvorim bridge saw  live music, Goan street food,  a carnival and dance and zumba zones. There was also a kids zone and a drone show. Rohan Khaunte asked all the people of  Porvorim to come and walk, feel and dance to the new bridge. 

The six-lane elevated highway was inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday, September 9 at in the late evening and thrown open to the public from 6 pm on Friday, September 11.

TEACHERS HIRED TO RIG POLLS?

THE fast-track recruitment of teachers in government schools is suspected to be linked to the assembly election in February 2027. Most polling centres in Goa are in government schools. The Election Commission prefers hiring school teachers to manage the election booths. Indeed, school teachers are the favourite victims of every government school both Central and State. School teachers are taken away from schools not only for election duties but also to conduct census operation.

ATHARV SALGAONKAR WINS `PEOPLE OF GOA’ PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

GOAN content creator and photographer Atharv Salgaonkar has emerged as a winner in the People of Goa (TPOG) Photography Competition — organised around the theme “Goa is Love.” The competition saw hundreds of entries from photographers across Goa.

Rohan Fernandes was declared the 1st runner-up, while Sainand Salgaonkar and Divesh Naik shared the second runners-up position. Among more than 200 participants, 11 photographers also received special recognition for their entries.

Salgaonkar is a Goan content creator and photographer who describes himself as a visual storyteller, using cinematography and photography to transform ordinary moments into unforgettable memories.

He has won several competitions at both  State and National levels. Amongst his  achievements are 1st place in the Environment Reel Competition organised by the CII–Indian Green Building Council, 1st place in the Ganesh Reel Competition organised by Rotaract Chicalim, 2nd place in the Ganesh Chaturthi Reel Competition by BJYM Goa, and 4th place in a reel competition organised by Swarna Gold & Diamonds.

He secured 3rd place in the Black & White Photography Competition organised by Vivo India Community and 1st place in a photography competition organised by Rotaract Mapusa. His photographs were also exhibited at the Cycle Diaries Exhibition at the Museum of Goa.

Salgaonkar has also been actively involved in filmmaking. He was part of Team  Soulful Craft, which won Best BTS, Trending Film, and 2nd Best Film at The Film Challenge – #55Hours, organised by AIO Studio. He was also part of Team “Savaat” — screened in the Goan section of the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). He frequently participated and  won competitions organised by the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG). Some more achievements include 2nd Best Reel and 3rd Best Ad Film for TB Mukt Panchayat for Aasheche Kiran; 3rd place in the Organ Donation Reel Competition for “Donation – The Ultimate Pass”; and 3rd Best Ad Film and Best Reel in the Consumer Rights & Responsibilities Competition for “Seal of Justice and Rights – Not Favours”, respectively. Salgaonkar also won in the Goan Section at the 7th Goa Anti-Tobacco Film Festival for Naaqab and won the Amho Shigmotsav Documentary Competition.

The TPOG competition featured a diverse collection of images, ranging from Goa’s landscapes to candid glimpses of everyday Goan life, with each frame telling a unique story. The competition saw strong participation from both amateur and professional photographers across Goa, with entries captured using mobile phones, cameras and drones. Salgaonkar’s  wins add yet another dimension to his growing portfolio as a visual storyteller, highlighting his  contribution to Goa’s photography and film-making community.

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