Panaji: 10th March 2018::: The 2018 annual Shigmotsav parade in Panaji was a mix of traditional costumes, traditional art forms, larger-than-life-floats, loud music and flashy colours.
After the successful Carnival parade, the Panaji Shigmotsav float parade was held on the new route from the Science Centre, Miramar, to the Harley Davidson showroom so as to ensure smooth traffic flow in the heart of the city.
Various folk dances were performed by locals like the Ghode-Morni, Talgadi, Rommatamel and Fugdi to the traditional beats of the dhols. huge floats enacted with Hindu mythological scenes were a part of the shigmotsav float parade which were witnessed by thousands of enthusiasts who participated in the float parade from all over the state.
The festivities weren’t just a riot of loud music and colours, it was also a celebration of tradition – from costumes, to music and dance
The Shigmo parades gives all a chance to get a glimpse at the Goan life depicted through elaborate folk performances by men and women dancing tirelessly in processions along with the parade. Traditional folk dances and performances of mythological scenes will be the major highlight of this year’s parades
The two-week long festivities which started from march 3rd would be held across Goa till March 17, 2018 for which Goa Tourism taking efforts to make elaborate preparations for the Shigmo parade during the two-week celebrations at various locations. Tourism Department is confident that the Shigmo festival will be bigger and better this year.
Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said that lot of efforts were taken by the tourism department to see that all things were put in place for the shigmotsav parades which were held at various parts of the state
Nilesh Cabral, MLA and Chairman of State-owned Goa Tourism Development Corporation Limited said that this year, a spectacular display of Goan ethnicity and mythology will be on show, along with dance performances by artistes in traditional costume from rural areas of the State.
Earlier the Shigmotsav parade had started from Ponda on 3rd of march which was followed by Margao on March 4, Sanguem on March 6, Vasco and Sanquelim on March 7, Valpoi on March 8, Bicholim on March 9 and while shigmotsav float parade was held today in Panjim.
The float parade at Mapusa, Pernem, Canacona, Quepem, Curchorem, Cuncolim and Dharbandora will also be held from March 11 to March 17.
recently Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar and Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) Chairman Nilesh Cabral had also convened a meeting along with all other officials and representatives from the government, Goa police, traffic police, and municipal bodies in discussing the preparations for Shigmo in the state.
The government this year spend Rs 1.88 crore on parades at 15 locations across the state between March 3 to March 17.
The government has allocated Rs 6 lakh each as prize money for the Panaji, Margao, Vasco, Mapusa and Ponda float parades and Rs 4 lakh each for the floats in Quepem, Bicholim, Valpoi, Canacona, Curchorem, Cuncolim, Sanguem, Pernem, Sakhali, while for the Dharbandona parade, Rs 3.50 lakh has been allocated
