Hindu Fairs
& Festivals
(January/February)
Mahashivratri:
A celebration in the honour of Lord Shiva held at all the principal Shiva templeIs,
it is celebrated in Harvalem, Ramnathi, Kavlem, Mangueshi, Nagueshi, Shiroda,
Brahmapuri. Shirgao, Kasarpal, Fatorpa and Panaji.
Rantha Saptami:
Festival takes place in February at the Mallikarujuna Temple.Maruti-Zatraat
Shri Mahalakshmi Temple is presiding deity of Panaji, Goa's capital city.
Mahalasa Jatra or Vijayarathotsav: (Chariot Festival)
It is celebrated at Mahalasa Temple of Mohini in Ponda.
(February/March)
Shigmotsav:
It is celebrated in all over Goa. Special celebrations at Panaji, Mapusa, Vasco-da-Gama
and Margao. A spring festival celebrated on the full moon day of the month of
Phalgun in March.
It is a grand five day festival of colour, celebrated distinctively in the villages,
corresponding with Holi or Spring Festivals. Shigmo is universally celebrated
in Goa, but specially in Panaji, Mapusa, Vasco Da Gama and Margoa.
Ghodemodni:
Or Parade of the Horse Riders, is part of Shigmo and is found in Fatorpa and
Bicholim. Hypnotic and rhythmic music of drums and Whistles accompany the martial
dance, which Parades down the main street, imitating horses and their riders.
Rombat:
Takes place on the second and third day of Shigmo. It is a Procession of men
in traditional dress carrying banners and umbrellas dancing to the music of
drums. Young boys wave green twigs, signifying the arrival of spring.
Goa Carnival
Among
the various colourful feasts and festivals feasts and festivals that Goa celebrates
-with great eclat, Carnaval and Shigmo are the most rumbustious, awaited by
the population with intense enthusiasm. Unlike 'Shigmo' which is also celebrated
in some oilier parts of India, although under different appellations, 'Carnaval
Goa's own, unique, and the Union Territorys contribution to India's other expressions
at untrammelled revelry.
More Details
Shigmo Festival
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 different 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.
