Holi, Shigmo and Gudi Padwa, the Trio of festivals that bring Goa alive in its villages
According to the Hindu Calendar, the month of Falgun, brings out a trio of interconnected spring festivals of starting with Holi, sustained by Shigmostav and ending in Gudi Padwa.
Called the festival of colours, in Holi typically the colours of red, blue, yellow, green and pink are used. Celebrated all over the country, there are different stories behind the festival. It is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, wherein King Hiranyakashipu and his sister Holika were defeated in their sinister plot to kill the King’s son Prahlada who was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Some celebrate the love of Radha-Krishna while some take it as a welcome to spring, family and friends.
A tree, one that is typical of the village, is cut and after prayers, is erected in an open space. The youth of the village guard this installation called the Holi. The annual Gulalotsav of Zambaulim, occurs during this time, where a sea of pink powder covers the devotees of Lord Damodar. All over the state, Holi is celebrated across communities, complete with music and also some bhang. Some public squares welcome one and all to join in smearing each other with colour.
Shigmostav or Shigmo is celebrated in the length and breath of Goa and is basically a farmer’s festival. Personally speaking, the Shigmo parades outshine the Carnival and if given a choice, one should come to Goa to witness the Shigmo festivities. Ranging from spiritual, traditional, music and folkdance to mysticism, it is all there. Goa comes alive in its villages over the 14-day festival and some unique rituals can only be observed during this annual event. The interiors of the Sattari, Bicholim and Canacona in particular have elaborate celebrations.
Chorutsav is performed in Sattari villages, at a temple in the Zarme village. Chorutsav literally means festival of thieves. There is an enactment of the local villagers posing as thieves and who are buried in the ground. Some have their heads buried in the mud with swords in their hands, while some have their heads above the ground with the rest of the body buried. Folklore has it that the festival is actually celebrated to do away with the curse of killing the innocent ones, as they were mistaken for thieves. On the similar lines of death, in the village of Caranzol in Sattari, the Ranmale folk drama is enacted and ‘Meshe’ folk drama is enacted thereafter to honour the Hebars tribal people who were killed while being engrossed in the Ranmale. There is an amusing local talk that believes that there is a place, Hebarachem Ghaththan, that no one dares to visit in the night, due to the fear of ghosts.
Ghodemodni is a majestic rhythmic dance which is common. Men dressed as warriors with sword in hand, an effigy of a horse tied at their waists, seek the blessings first at a temple before proceeding on a march that culminates at an open space. This dance is in honour of the returning warriors who were believed to have left to fight the invaders after the festival of Dussehra. The best place to catch this would be at Thane in Sattari where a group of villages come together to perform the dance and pay gratitude, the name hence is ‘Sat Bhav Ghodemodni’(sat bhav meaning seven villages that come together).
Goff is a ribbon dance performed by men from five communities around Canacona, wherein they braid the long ribbons that are joined at the top and center and then untie them, whilst dancing. At Molcornem, the ritual of ‘Sheni Uzo’ takes place, uzo meaning fire. Men encircle the village temple carrying trunks of the trees from the village plantation before moving to an open space close by and light the tree (sheni). They dance around the lit sheni, and hit it from time to time, that causes the burning embers to fall down. In Curdi, dried cow dung is used instead for the fire. Devotees believe that the embers if placed on them will not just cure illnesses but also protect them.
Very well-known of Shigmo is the Homkund Utsav, celebrated at Chorao. Wood is contributed by each house and its flames can rise very high into the night. Around midnight devotees dance and walk over burning coal of this wood, as a symbol to burn the evil powers.
Gade Utsav refers to men dressed in white dhoti, on the eve of Holi, after a prayer at the maand or holy place, go into the forest and keep moving through the night. The morning is marked by their safe return back to the maand. The festival is to commemorate Lord Mahadev, the Patron of Ghosts. In some villages, chosen men go into a trance like or possessed state and run around the village borders to fight the devil before returning back to the maand. This festival is unique to the villages of Sal, Pilgao and Kudne.
Romat in Pernem is held over three days, wherein, usually men, called romtis, dance to the drum and other musical beats. On the last night, people from surrounding villages join in and get a chance to see the floats done by the villagers. At Bali, the Shidyostav, festival of ladders is actually an acrobatic feat performed elaborately. A chosen man is suspended in the air, seated on top of a 30-foot decorated pole that is balanced and held by a group of people.
Tonyemel or Tonniocho Mell is a traditional celebration at Quepem. Men from the Barcem village, perform a barefoot dance to folk songs, whilst holding two long bamboo sticks in their arms as props. Performed by the Velip community, the group of men transverse all villages from 8 in the morning to 8 at night, performing for three days before culminating in a circular dance in an open space. Only then can they return home.
On a sombre note, in few villages bordering Sattari and Bicholim, two young, prepuberty boys are selected for a ritual called ‘Karavleo’, wherein they are draped in green and gold sarees with dressed with vermilion foreheads and flowers around their heads. They are carried by the local village men around and worshipped in memory of the women who had to commit Sati several decades back. They go door to door and are usually acknowledged by the women of the house.
At other places, Veerbhadra can be observed. A local is dressed like the royalty that once ruled Goa. A decorated leaf shaped prop is mounted on the back of the Veerbhadra who is believed then to be possessed by a spirit that allows him to dance tirelessly for at least an hour.
The temples in Canacona, has a unique celebration that takes place alternate even years. Three chosen men, dressed in white turbans and dhotis lie down close to each other so that their heads form a fire stand, in the temple courtyard where the ritual takes place. After placing a white cloth on heads, rose wood is used to lit a fire and a traditional earthen vessel is placed atop it to cook rice. A fourth gado (man) who is seated in front of the deity, is struck and his blood is mixed with the rice. It culminates with all entering the temple.
At Dongri village, the Intruz is celebrated. Intruz means carnaval actually. It is believed that the Portuguese rule forbade which they believed to be pagan celebrations and so the villagers started to celebrate shigmo under the guise of Intruz. Villagers of Dongri from all over Goa come together at their native village to celebrate the Intruz or rather Shigmo now.
At Sateri, women take centerstage in what is supposed to mark the end of Shigmo celebrations. The festival of Inglekarin, involves chosing women, who represent the five original families who first settled there. They wear white sarees that are dampened and burning coal is poured three times over them.
The end of Shigmo brings in the new year of Gudi Padwa for the Hindus, believed to the day of the universe being created. Various places in Goa mark the day with poojas and processions. In Poriem, the deity Bhumka is taken to the Saptashati Bhumka Shrine in Sankhali where it culminates in cultural celebrations. At Narve, the fair of Kokodev is organized. Performances of Ranmale, a traditional folk drama is enacted. A local Goan bloom of flowers called Abolim, are offered to the dieties. At Panaji, the Mahalaxmi temple celebrates the Sarvajanik Gudi pooja.
To write in-depth about the festivities from the religious and traditional Hindu point of view, references were made from the articles written by Bhiva Parab and Gauree Malkarnekar in the The Navhind Times and Times of India, Goa, both dated 5th March 2023.