PANAJI: The Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (GTDC) is organising a day long cruise on board Santa Monica to celebrate Sao Joao on Thursday June 24, to facilitate tourists and local Goans to participate in the cruise and have fun, said a press release.

The cruise will leave Panaji Jetty on June 24 at 10.00 a.m., sail along Old Goa, Chorao, Diwar islands and return at 4.00 p.m. There will be plenty of excitement for the whole day with a live band to entertain. There will be lots of fabulous prizes for those who participate in the lime dance, splash dance and coconut breaking contest. The highlight of the day will be the professionals divers doing Sao Joao jump into the river. The Sao Joao feast is celebrated on June 24th with joy and mirth among the young and not so young men, wearing crowns (copels) of tender coconut leaves, jumping into swollen wells, rivers to commemorate Saint John the Baptist’s leap of joy.