Shigmo, also known as Shigmotsav and Shimga, is one of the prominent Hindu festivals in Goa. The Shigmo is a parade dance done by traditional folk dancers and by street dancers. The dancers carry hand-made floats that depict regional mythological and religious aspects. The celebrations span around a fortnight; and different days are allotted for celebrations in different areas of the state. The Shigmo is celebrated in March, around the time of the Carnival. Lately the state government has also been encouraging and providing assistance to dancers to perform public Shigmo parades.
The festival comes in two varieties; one is the Dhakto Shigmo (‘small’ Shigmo) which is celebrated by the agriculturists, the labor class and the rural population. It commences five days prior to the first full-moon day in the month of Phalgun and ends on the full-moon day. The Vodlo Shigma (‘big Shigmo’) is the second category of the festival and is celebrated jointly by all the classes. Unlike the Dakhto Shigmo, the Voldo Shigmo takes up from where the Dakhto had left off. Celebrated mainly in the New Conquests areas of Goa, the Vodlo Shigmo starts with the Holi Purnima, that is on the full-moon day of the month of Phalgun and continues for another five days.
The festivities include a whole ritual of choral songs and dances amidst the village gathering. Two types of songs are sung to accompany the dance. These songs are called the Naman and the Jot. People perform the dance by going from door-to-door with Dol and Tasha (drums). The people at whose door-step they reach give them money. After the contribution has been made, a song is sung willing the donor well. The festival ends with a collective bath.
