By Sridhar D Iyer
Three quaint festivals – Carnival, Shigmo and Bonderam – have religious, cultural and historical significance. They are peppy, colourful, filled with songs and dances and they recreate the days of yore. One common theme is that people of different faiths and religions enthusiastically participate and spread the message of fun, love, respect and tolerance…..
THERE are three celebrations that are unique to Goa and involve floats and parades in which people whole-heartedly participate, cutting across religious and other barriers. The three festivals are: Carnival, Shigmo and Bonderam and at least those who live in Goa should know more about them.
- Carnival: This is a 450-year old legacy of the Portuguese-era rule in Goa and once they left on December 19, 1961 a local musician called Timoteo Fernandes initiated carnival in Goa on the lines of the carnaval or carnival in Rio de Janerio, Brazil. The event was to attract tourists and bring in the much-needed revenue. Carnival starts on a Saturday and ends on a Tuesday and from Ash Wednesday the Catholics start their 40 days (excluding Sundays) of Lent that lasts till Holy Thursday i.e., before Easter Sunday.
In the past, Carnival was a village celebration with participants decked up in various attires and walking down the street accompanied by music and dance while the spectators cheered them. Youngsters used to make floats depicting various themes of nature, birds, animals, etcetera, and these were paraded around. In mid-1970s, Carnival slowly became commercialised when business entities either participated or sponsored the floats and parades. As carnival attracted people from far and wide, the government stepped in to form carnival committees in the various towns viz, Panaji, Margao, Mapuca, Ponda and Vasco. The committees consist of well-known Goan personalities such as stage artists, writers and government officials who identify a theme for the carnival and advertise for the posts of King Momo and a Queen. After an interview these two would be selected and as per traditions King Momo would declare open the carnival and urge his subjects to have fun, food and frolic for the next four days.
King Momo, his queen and their royal hands would slowly make their way down the road standing atop a decorated lorry. They would be cheered by the milling crowd while the dancers and other participants would entertain the people. The floats depicting various facets are mounted on trucks and light and sound are supplied through generators. In the initial days there were no themes for the carnival but later a theme was identified each year. This helped the people to fabricate and build the floats and participate in the parade. The themes could be related to social problems and awareness such as about health, environmental issues (destruction, afforestation, save water, etc), marine life, typical occupations in Goa and many more. The number of participants and floats and their types are registered a few days before the carnival.
The floats are built over days by enthusiastic people during their free time and readied by the time carnival begins. The floats are made up of various material – paper, thermocol, metal and cardboard and are intricately designed and painted. Money and material is contributed by those staying in the place where the floats are made and by the local MLA and business people.
The floats parade commence late afternoon, say 4 pm or so and ends by 7 pm and in three hours about 3 km would be covered in a slow-paced manner. The floats are accompanied by people walking, dancing, singing, driving vantage cars and riding bicycles and motorbikes. There would be the occasional clowns, cross-dressed males, people wearing masks and attired as birds and animals.
In Panaji, the parade normally starts near the Old Patto bridge and ends near Kala Academy, Campal. Only a couple of times, the carnival was along the Miramar-Dona Paula highway. The first day of carnival starts on a Saturday and in Panaji and in the next three days it is at Margao, Vasco and Mapusa and Ponda. Many of the floats are taken to all these places and new ones from each town are included.
Some years back carnival was a great attraction for the locals and tourists and people used to throng to catch a glimpse of the festivity but then interest waned as carnival became more commercialised. Liquor companies started participating in the carnival and sponsored the floats but later they were banned. Slowly carnival is getting back to its original people-based celebration.
After four days the best floats and groups are awarded prizes. On the following Wednesday Catholic people attend mass and after mass they apply on their forehead holy ash. Hence, it is known as Ash Wednesday and is the first day of Lent period.
Incidentally, in India carnival is only conducted in Goa, while it is common in 50 countries. In Rio de Janeiro carnival is a huge and glitzy affair and none can rival it in terms of money spent on the floats and participants. Rio Carnival is considered as a professional celebration and participants start planning and practising a year in advance. Carnival is a money spinner as hordes of tourists’ flock to get a glimpse of the grand festivity. - Shigmo: Shigmo is celebrated in Goa in a unique way and falls in the Phalguna month i.e., between March and April. Shigmo in north India is known as Holi, as Dolyatra in Assam and Bengal, in Maharashtra as Shimga and Kamadahan in Karnataka. There are various reasons ascribed to celebrate Shigmo. Firstly, it is to welcome spring and a time to harvest the crops. Secondly, according to a legend, when the demoness Holika, the aunt of young Prahlad, instigated her brother Hiranyakashapu to torture Prahlad so that he would not repeat Lord Vishnu’s name; people tormented, abused and burnt her. Hence, on the eve of Holi people make a bonfire to represent the burning of Holika and a variety of things are thrown as offerings. These are coconut, chickpeas, cow dung, roasted grains, flowers, colour powders, jaggery and turmeric. Thirdly, on Shigmo day the Indian god of love, Kamadeva who disturbed Lord Shiva’s penance was burnt to ashes when Shiva opened his third eye located between the two eyebrows. Fourthly, the festival is to honour the soldiers who returned home after having left during Dussehra to fight the invaders.
Shigmo is observed for 14 days in several towns and cities in Goa with immense fanfare, local songs and dances and wonderfully crafted floats that depict mythological characters. The two types of Shigmo are: Dhakto (small) and Vhadlo (big). The former is rejoiced in rural areas and the latter on a large scale in towns and cities of Goa.
Dhakto Shigmo commences about five days prior to the full moon day and culminates on the full moon day of Phalguna. It takes place in the areas of the older conquests during the Portuguese rule and the participants are farmers and labourers. The 5th day is Rang Panchami when a red powder “gulal” is thrown around and people apply it on each other’s face. Between the 11th and 15th day of the full moon day, people dress in colourful clothes and march with flags and “dwajas” (column-like, red spotted structures made of cloth mounted on bamboo poles). And to the beat of drums, they sing folk songs, dance and visit houses for donation.
Vhadlo Shigmo starts on the full moon day of Phalguna month and is celebrated for another five days in the places of the recent conquests during the Portugues rule. All classes of people participate in Vhadlo Shigmo. During the five days, prayers are conducted on fixed dates at different temples and floats and processions are taken out.
In Goa, Shigmo take place at 18 towns. These are: Ponda, Calangute, Sanquelim, Bicholim, Panaji, Porvorim, Pernem, Canacona, Vasco, Shiroda, Curchorem, Quepem, Dharbandora, Margao, Mapusa, Sanquem, Cuncolim and Valpoi. At most places Shigmo is on different days but sometimes it occurs in two towns on the same day. Shigmo committees are formed and they are responsible for the floats and parade and they work with the Department of Tourism. During the 14 days of Shigmotsav there are impressive parades in which dancers display traditional steps such as by balancing lit lamps on their head, Talgadi, Gopha, Hanpet, Fugdi, Rommatamel and “Ghode-morni” or the horse dance (a similar dance is commonly performed during village and temple festivals in Tamil Nadu). People sing the Naman and Jot songs and dance to the beats of dhol and taso.
The impressive items of Shigmo are the superbly constructed and adorned floats that depict mythological characters and scenes. These are decorated, painted, animated and lighted for a scintillating appearance. People from the neighbouring state of Maharashtra also participate during Shigmo.
The atmosphere during Shigmotsav is electrifying and full of vigour and vibrant. Hence, not only the locals but even domestic and international tourists come to view the festivities as it is unique and celebrated only in Goa.
An interesting aspect is that on the last day of Shigmo at Bicholim there is a tradition wherein the Hindu devotees would sing folk songs and perform the talgadi dance at Lord Siddheshwar (a form of Shiva) and in praise of Navdurga. Later the procession would go to the Hazrat Pir Sahab Dargah and again do the talgadi dance and play the gongs. The maulana offers prayers to Allah to bless the people and Hindus and Muslims both pray together at the Dargah. - Bonderam: This is a place-specific celebration that occurs on Divar island, one of the few inhabited islands in Goa and is close to Chorao Island where the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is situated. Divar island can be reached by boarding a ferry boat which starts from Ribandar, a place between Old Goa and Panaji or from Old Goa. After travelling about 30 minutes you would land on Divar with its rich paddy fields and diverse flora and fauna. There are several churches and, in the past, there was a temple with a beautifully carved Lord Ganesh. People feared that the Portuguese rulers would destroy the temple, hence the Ganesh idol was shifted to Khandola, a place which is about 10 km away. Hence, at Khandola temple there are two deities, a new and the old. Similarly, there was a Shree Saptakoteshwar temple of Lord Shiva and when it was destroyed the villagers took the idol and installed it 35 km away at Narve in Bicholim.
Once in an article there was a mention that a Queen of Tanjore had gifted an idol (Durga/Ganesh/Shiva?) to a temple located on Divar Island. Hence, considering that Vyankojirajah Bhonsle, the half-brother of Shivaji Maharaj, ruled Tanjore (1675-1700), that Shivaji Maharaj had come to Goa to take on the Portuguese and the fact that the horse dance is common at Tanjore and during Shigmo; perhaps the influence of Tamil culture in Goa is a possibility. Incidentally, the Kamakshi temple at Shiroda is dedicated to goddess Kamakhya of Assam but the idol is supposedly from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu!
Bonderam takes place on the 4th Saturday of August and recreates the time when the Portuguese government wanted to redraw the boundaries of the fertile fields and to control the areas that did not belong to the villagers. The rulers demarcated the areas by using colourful “bandeiras” or flags. Hence the name “bonderam” was given to the festival. But the villagers protested and removed the flags in a show of defiance and Bonderam came to be celebrated in two waddos (wards): Malar and Sao Piedade. At Malar a smaller event starts a week before the main festival of Bonderam.
Colourful flags are carried in a procession through the various wards and along the boundary lines. In the past, there was a flag parade and mock battles with pop-guns made of bamboo (fotash). This word is similar to that in Tamil “patash” meaning fire crackers). Subsequently, the festivity grew and floats of beautifully decorated boats accompanied by live band performances from well-known Goan musicians were added. People practise their dances and acts days before the festival and dress up in colourful and fun clothes. In recent years, “Bonderachi pasoi” was introduced which is a walk through the wards so that visitors to the islands meet and greet the locals, enjoy the food and listen to stories of yore. The day after Bonderam, the first corn is cut and offered to the gods.