Due to the sudden spike in COVID infections, Goa has cancelled the biggest spring festival of the state, the Shigmo festival. Shigmo is a Goan festival that welcomes the month of spring, bidding goodbye to winter. The Shigmo festivities take place in the month of Falguna with a lot of pomp and fervour. The celebrations involve parades, street dances and folk performances. People taking part in the parades get dressed as characters of regional mythology. This year, due to fears of virus spread, the state has put bans on Shigmo parades. Initially, the government had decided to celebrate the festival in the first week of April.
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No Shigmo Parades In Goa This Year
The Goa government has cancelled the Shigmo festival or Shishirotsava this year, in view of the rising COVID cases. Shigmo is one of the most significant festivals of Goa and both locals and tourists take part in it. This time the authorities have cancelled the Shigmo parades to combat the spread of COVID-19. However, traditional Shigmo festivities can take place in the Goan temples, following the precautionary guidelines. The government has also said that the artists of the festival will receive compensation. According to a Times Travel report, Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant has said, “The state government will give compensation to the artists who take place in the annual Shigmotsov celebrations. The decision to cancel the Shigmo parades in the state has been taken to avoid further spread of the Covid-19.”
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Initially, The Govt. Had Planned To Restrict The Parades To Three Places
The Shigmo parades take place in the month of April every year. This year, initially, the parades were supposed to take place in Ponda, Mapusa and Panaji. The parades at Panaji and Mapusa were supposed to happen on April 3 and 4. But now the authorities have cancelled them. Meanwhile, Goa’s Carnival Festival had happened from February 13 to 16, 2021 with some restrictions. The theme of the year was COVID Vaccine Awareness. The fascinating float parades were still a part of the festival. Many local tourists cheered the revellers during the Carnival. A lot of people wore masks at the Carnival, and thousands were distributed for free.