Shigmotsav or Shigmo

Introduction

On the last day of the full moon day of the month of Falgun i.e. March, a five-day Hindu festival brings cheerfulness and colour among the people of Goa. The celebration includes colourful street floats (in larger towns), folk theatre, sword dances and lively spraying of colourful powder. It may be considered as a Goanese version of Holi. The festival is celebrated mostly in Panaji, Mapusa, Vasco-da-Gama and Margao.

Celebration

Shigmotsav or Shigmo is celebrated in Goa with lots of fanfare and gusto. It is a festival of colors much like Holi that continues for five days. During all the five days the people are expected to avoid non-vegetarian food. The festival which began in 1979 is now celebrated with loads of fun in the villages of Goa where villagers worship local deities.

Two forms of Shimgo festivals are celebrated namely, Dhakto Shigmo and the Vodlo Shigmo. Farmers and labourers celebrate Dhakto Shigmo while Vodlo Shigmo is celebrated by all on a much larger scale.

Shigmotsav festival also coincides with the Carnival of Goa. The festivities include ritualistic songs, dance and large colorful processions on streets of Goa. Song and dance is accompanied by dol, and drums. There are two types of dance during Shigmo festival- the Naman and the Jot. People also wear colorful clothes and carry flags, hand-crafted floats. Dancers visit every house and perform dances in front of the house. People offer money to those dancers who come to their doorsteps. After receiving the money the dancers sing songs for the donors. The festival ends with a ceremonial collective bath.