Good Friday is being observed in Goa today as in the rest of the country. Several programmes are being held through out country to mark the occasion. Good Friday is a day of sincere reverence among Goan Catholics. It is the culmination of Lent, an important observance in the lives of devout Catholics. Lent is observed for 40 days from February to March beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Good Friday followed by Easter Sunday. In Goa, on Good Friday, a cross symbolic of the one on which Jesus was crucified is unveiled in many churches. It is believed that Jesus rose from his grave on the following sunday which is celebrated as Easter. The rituals for Good Friday begin on the preceding Thursday. A feast symbolising the last supper of christ is held on Thursday night. The end of this meal marks the beginning of the fast for Easter. The celebrations in Panaji, hundreds of devout Catholics gather in Panaji Church of Mary Immaculate Conception to listen to Mass and participate in the way of the cross. During the afternoon sermon the priests narrate the sufferings that Jesus Christ took upon himself for the sake of humanity. Tha mass attracts a large crowd.