Goa’s Tribal villages usher in Shigmo festivities, spending two days in forests
Gokuldem: Goa’s age old tradition of Shigmo began from Thursday night with the menfolk from several tribal villages nestled in the western ghat, beginning their two-day-long journey in the forests singing the folk tunes.
The tradition of Shigmo has been dated to the times when tribals settled in these forested areas of Canacona, Sanguem and Quepem taluka of Goa, opting for agriculture as their only source of income.
Over the time, the youngsters from these villages began taking up various professions, besides the agriculture, but the tradition of Shigmo has continued uninterrupted in these belts of the Western Ghat.
On Thursday midnight, at Gokuldem village in Quepem Assembly constituency of South Goa, which is one of the villages with 100 per cent tribal population, a group of around 100 men left for the celebration in the nearby forests, leaving back only infants and women in this hamlet.
Shigmo is a spring festival celebrated in the Konkan belt during Phalguna month of Hindu calendar.
“We are not wearing chappals or any other material of lather during Shigmo festival. We observe total vegetarian food during Shigmo,” said Rame Velip, head of the family, who leads the flock for two days.
Wearing the traditional attire and a hat decorated with flowers, this group performs in several villages before returning back, two days later at the village.
“Shigmo in the tribal villages is the oldest festival of Goa. It has continued over the year and the response of young population is amazing,” said Soiru Velip (40), resident of Gokuldem and journalist by profession working in Panaji.
Soiru and his 11-year-old son are part of the group that will stay in forests for two days.
Chandru Velip, a village elderly, said that during both the days, the group invokes the local deities through their folk songs and dances.
