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The Shigmo Festival in Goa is a colour festival celebrated in the month of "Falgun" as per Saka Calendar. During this festival period famous temple "Yatras" are held. Processions are carried out at temples by throwing "gulal" and dancing with god and goddess umbrellas and "Dindis". This festival celebration is organized in different cities to attract tourists. Processions are carried out in cities with traditional goan dances and modern floats. People are honored for best performance in the procession and best float decorators.
Being celebrated in the villages, the "Shigmotsav" or Shigmo festival, a grand five-day festival of colours, is also considered as the spring festival of Goa. Its celebrations begin with the Holi, the festival of colours celebrated across the country on Thursday. The festival commemorates the homecoming of the warriors who had left their homes and families at the end of Dussera to fight the invaders.
During Shigmo festival ripening of the winter crop is also included as a reason for the festivities. By the time it was dusk, artists displayed the martial dances like 'Ghode-morni' or the horse dance. Floats depicting the themes from ancient Hindu scriptures came to delight the crowd. Meanwhile, the visitors were enthralled at the grand celebrations. "It's really good to watch people enjoying and having a great time and fun," said Sarah, a tourist from England. One of the features of the ceremonies was a cavalcade, which was carried out into the streets of Ponda in Goa.
History
Shigmotsav is a popular festival in Goa. It is similar to the festival of Holi. The Hindus celebrate this 14 days long festival. The Goan Hindu traditions and mythology is showcased in this festival. Shigmotsav is celebrated to mark the farewell of winter. During the festival, people withdraw from non-vegetarian food and alcohol drinks.
Celebration
The Shigmo or Shigmotsav festival is celebrated in the month of Phalguna (March) from the 9th moon day to full moon day as per the Hindu calendar. It is the biggest festival for the Hindus in Goa. The 5th day is called 'Rang Panchami'. This day of rejoicing is celebrated with the abundant use of 'Gulal' or red powder.
From the 11th to the 15th moon day, villagers dress up in colorful dresses and embark with a festive mood along with multi-colored flags, beating drums and blowing flutes to get together at the village temples. They dance and sing various folk songs in the temple court yard to the beat of the drums.
These are interspersed with small groups that move along the route with their traditional Goan drums. The grand finale is the beautifully designed and lit floats. These floats are taken out at different locations on various days in Goa.
Goa festivals are an integral part of the state's culture and heritage. Among the festivals of Goa, some are steeped in religious undertones while the others are expressions of the fun-loving nature of the people. The long colonial rule of the Portuguese notwithstanding, the majority of the Goans are Hindus and as such they celebrate most of the traditional festivals. Ganesh Chaturthi is the most important festival of the state and is marked by religious observations and rituals. The sizeable Christian community in Goa too celebrate their festivals with fervor and gaiety. Among these, the feast of St. Francis Xavier is the most auspicious one and devotees from all over the world come to Goa to pay homage to St. Francis Xavier, Goa's patron saint. The Goa carnival is the most famous festival of Goa known the world over for fascinating parades and colorful celebrations
