Shigmo is a festival celebrated in Goa.
The origin of the Konkani/Marathi word Shigmo is in Sanskrit word Sugrishmak ,which was later corrupted to Suggimaho in Shourseni and later into Konkani Shigmo.
In recent years, the state government has been offering its support for public Shigmo parades, made up of traditional folk and street-dancers and elaborately-built floats depicting scenes from regional mythology and religious scenes.
Naman are the songs sung in chorus during the festival, when villagers assembly at a fixed place. Jot is a kind of song ung too, while the talgadi is a folk dance performed during the Shigmo. Dol and tasha are the drums, some of which can be huge in size, which people travel with, from door-to-door, dancing to its sound. Money is placed in the plate carried by the performers, and a song called the tali is sung after this is done, wishing the donor well. On the last day of the festival, it is believed that a spirit enters these persons who dance, and this is known as the gade padne. Mand Thevane refers to a collective bath taken after the festival comes to an end.
Folk songs and dances, temple festival
Gulal at Zambaulim
Zambaulim, a village in South Goa's Quepem taluka (part of the New Conquests of Goa) has a popular festival. It is held in honour of Damodar, the local deity of Margao town in South Goa, and commences on the seventh day of the second fortnight of the Indian month of Phalguna. It ends on the fourteenth day of the latter half of Phalguna. This festival takes places on a Tuesday.
This festival, being celebrated since 1927 and organised by the Mathagramastha Hindu Sabha, is marked with the use of gulal (red powder), hence its name. The principal item of food is sakar bhat (sweetened rice).
