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Holi in Goa is celebrated as Shigmotsav, which is
a festival of farewell to winter and welcome to spring celebrated
with colour, songs and dances to the beat of drums. Float parades
depicting various scenes of mythology are also held.
Shigmo in Goa is esentially a festival of the masses. It is so all
over India, though it is celebrated under different names and in
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ways in various parts of the country.
It is the festival of farewell to winter celebrated on the full moon
day in the month of Phalguna(March), the last month of the Hindu
calendar.
In Goa, which has always been land of temples, shigmo begins with
Naman or collective obeisance of villagers from 9th moon day to
full-moon day. During all these days, they are to 'shun' non-veg.
food and all intoxicants.
From the 11th Moon day to the 15th moon day, various village groups
clad in their most colorful dresses set out with festive mood with
multi-colored cloths, torans, flags and column-like red spoted "Dwajas",
beating drums and blowing flutes to gather at the village temples,
and dance in the temple court yard singing various folk songs to the
beat of the drums.
On the 5th day comes the real day of re-joicing. It is called "Rang
Panchami" - it is practised differently at different places. The
main function of the day, however, is the profuse use of 'Gulal' or
red-powder. It's a symbol of rejoicing, when people throw it on each
other as a sign of full-hearted greeting. |
