MARGAO: If feast fairs could be considered a barometer of the rural economy, green shoots of economic revival are visible in Margao with the Margao municipality allocating 260 stalls to vendors for the feast of the Holy Spirit Church, Margao that was held on Sunday. The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) netted revenue of close to Rs 20 lakh from the rent towards stalls allotted to vendors. Contrast this against last year’s revenue of Rs 4 lakhs and the recovery of local market sentiment is quite palpable, business and commerce watchers say.
The feast fair is held for nearly a week and, coming as it does ahead of the monsoons, vendors make brisk business. The feast is also popularly known as the Purumentachem fest (feast for provisions) as previously people used to stock up their households with provisions purchased from this feast fair held ahead of the rainy season. While the fair wasn’t held in 2020 due to the lockdown, it had received poor response from vendors last year. The charm of the fair returned this year much to the delight of the public.
