After democracy was ushered in Goa post 1961, the church administration made compulsory an uniform dress code to members of various confrarias of a church, especially when they are in a leisurely, outdoor feast day processions. To day all confraria members wear over their pants/shirts or suits, a sleeveless knee length tunic of white in colour over which they tie cape of red colour round their shoulders. The Feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is celebrated with great pomp on the 8th December each year both in Panjim and Margao. Todays ( Dec 9) bothe The Times of India and Herald editions display photos of feast day processions in both these towns. In Margao, however, a few members of a confraria are wearing tunics of red colour instead of mandatory white. Let us hope it does not smack of casteism.
