Shigmo Festival May 16th, 2009
The Shigmo festival is widely celebrated in Goa, India. It is one of the most prominent festivals in the Hindu community and has a religious and cultural significance. Recently, the state government has begun to sponsor parades to demonstrate its support of the festival’s purpose. Most of the themes seen in the parade floats depict mythological characters and stories from the region. Various areas in Goa have different ways of celebrating and most have a unique focus, though the essence is the same throughout. They usually take place in March of each year. Each rural area has its own dates designated for this elaborate festival. Many tourists staying in Goa hotels have the opportunity to participate in them, and enjoy the fabulous splendor of the floats’ designs.
The Shigmo festivals fall under two categories, the little festival “Dhakto Shigmo” and the big festival “Vodlo Shigmo.” There is not a significant difference between them, although a common distinction is that the Dahkto Shigmo is a coming together of all of the agricultural laborers and the working class, while the Vodlo Shigmo is a bringing together of all people. The Dahkto is typically celebrated in the Old Conquest regions of Goa, while the Vodlo generally takes place in the New Conquests. The Old Conquest refers to areas in Goa that remained under Portuguese rule longer than the others.
There are standard themes and performance rituals associated with the Shigmo. There is a particular genre of folk song that is sung when the villagers all gather together. These are called Naman. These songs are sung primarily during the Dahkto festival, which also includes many folk dances. The Vodlo will usually take place in temples, and a different celebration will occur in a different temple depending on the date. It is traditional for musicians to walk around playing large drums and people travel with them, dancing through the village. Money is given to the drummers who carry large plates for this purpose and they usually sing a special song indicating their appreciation for the donation. It is believed that the spirit gade padne enters the dancers on the last day of festival, and there is a community bathing ritual called the Mand Thevane that takes place after the festival ends.
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