Brazilian Samba at this year's Goa Carnival

There will be a touch of the Brazilian Samba at the Goa Carnival that begins March 1.

Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar told IANS on the sidelines of a media event that the Carnival festivities would be held in five towns across Goa, including this capital city.

"The Panaji Municipal Corporation has arranged for three Brazilian floats for the Carnival parade which will make the event all the more exciting," Parulekar said.

The Goa Carnival is a celebration of the state's Portuguese legacy. It is celebrated in a big way in countries once ruled by the Iberians - either Portuguese or Spanish - and to some extent in regions ruled by the French who celebrate Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), a similarly inspired festival, and the classic Samba-inspired Carnival in Brazil.

For the week prior to the austere Christian season of Lent, Goa celebrates "one last shot at having fun" before the liquor bottles and beef and pork are stacked away as part of a 40-day period of religious penitence.

Along with Christmas and Ganesh Chaturthi, it is one of the biggest festivals in the state, which was ruled by the Portuguese for over 450 years.

Parulekar also said that he expected tourist inflow to increase in Goa during the five days of the Carnival.