Shigmo Is Around The Corner So Get Your Dhols, Tashas & Festive Spirit On

Shigmo also known as Shimgo in some parts is about to take to the streets in Goa, and we tell you exactly how much fun it can be. Unlike the Carnival that has it’s roots since the Portuguese came to India, this festival has been celebrated in Goa since way before Goa was a Portuguese colony. It’s a beautiful cultural festival that is full of colour, faith, music, dance, and more celebrated all across the state of Goa, and here’s why you shouldn’t miss it.

Kicking off on March 3 and going on till March 17 this year, the Shigmo festival believes in being true to its Goan roots. The Annual Shigmo Parade will of course take place in Panjim on the March 10 and you will start seeing colourful cut-outs and decorations all across the city. If you do not have the time to explore the villages where Shigmo is celebrated in full gusto, then a visit to Panjim on the for the parade is a great idea. Goans will be dressed in traditional outfits with dhols, ghumots & tashas providing live unadulterated beats that have all dancing to it. Add to it the pageantry of the outfits, the wooden horses, the colourful turbans and chatris, it is one helluva celebration.

This festival also offers a great chance to catch the now dying Maand tradition, which is a ritual of invocation to the folk deities in pretty much every village square or their sacred space {this also includes brass bands like the olden Maratha ones that preceded their conquering armies and followed by Kunbi, which is a very old folk dance form still performed during Shigmo}. The tribal village women wear colourful sarees and shimmering gold jewellery while performing.

Lastly the evening finishes with short plays with locals acting, wearing colourful costumes and featuring the mythological characters, to make it more interesting.

Another beautiful cultural sight during Shigmo is the celebration of Gadotsav, which is again another ancient tradition to appease the Holy Spirits who are also considered Guardians of their villages to protect against natural calamities and other spirits. This involves villagers wearing a white dhoti and running towards the crematoriums at midnight. The villages to check out this ritual are Sal, Kudne & Pilgao in Bicholim District.

You could just drive around to check out the decorations or to know more about the dates and other details of the parades in different cities of Panjim, Margao, Ponda, Mapusa, etc. check here.