Shimgotsav – The Brilliant Hues of Festive Celebrations in Goa

Goa is a vibrant holiday destination. But the real Goa has been pushed to the back, to be hidden beneath a manufactured veneer of hedonistic excesses. If you want to experience the real Goa, beyond its perpetual parties and touristy trappings, you must attend Shimgotsav. This spring festival is Goa’s way of celebrating Holi. It is the most popular festival celebrated in Goa because it represents their joy and spiritedness.

Goa’s Holi spring festival is a festival of Gods but is more a celebration of nature. This lively spring festival marks the end of winter and signals the onset of summer. Goa celebrates Shimgotsav with great fervour and has been doing so since 1979. Shimgotsav 2022 is set to begin on 21^st March, and it’s going to be a special one after the non-existent celebrations in the past two years.

Goa’s festival of Gods has all the vibes of some of the best parades in the world. Gaily dressed revellers take to the streets with intricate floats that depict scenes from regional mythology. Being a part of these celebrations is one of the most highly recommended things to do in Goa. Be a part of Shimgotsav 2022 for a look at Goa’s true culture that’s full of fun and traditions.

Let the celebrations begin!

The good people of Goa celebrate the Holi spring festival of Shimgotsav in March. The celebrations start on the ninth moon day and continue up to the next full moon day. The celebrations kick off with a Naman (collective prayer). These soulful invocations give a perfect start to the festival of Gods. They set the mood for the festivities to follow. Villagers from the nearby villages gather, wearing colourful clothes.

The gathering is a riot of colours. The Dhwajas (red spotted flags) compete with the festival goers to catch your attention. They make up for their lack of numbers by flying high above the crowds, reaching for the sky. The heavy bass of a thousand drums and sweet lilting of flutes provide a mesmerising background score to the festival of Gods. The temples in Goa are the crowd’s gathering points.

The song and dance begin in the temples and gradually spill outside. Traditional dance steps match traditional folk songs and people lose themselves in the ardour of the festival of Gods. The celebrations that start in the afternoons go on until the moon reaches its zenith in the night sky. While this is how the celebrations manifest in the villages, the ones that happen in cities are a bit different.

In cities, the festival of Gods is a living diorama of one-day carnivals that take over the main roads of Goa, Mapusa, Vasco-da-Gama, and Panjim. If you are worried about things to do in Goa catch one of these parades. They are a treat for the senses. You will be treated to a wide range of local performances such as Ghode-Morni (horse dance), Talgadi, Hanpet, Gopha, Lamp Dance, Rommatamel and Phugdi.

Related Blog: Top 15 Places to Visit in Goa that are Not Beaches

Shimgotsav 2022: A brief calendar

Here’s a brief look at the most popular festival celebrated in Goa. Shimgotsav 2022 will begin on 21^st March 2022. The Shimgo parades will start from Ponda this year with the cultural programs will kick off in Panjim. The people of Bicholim, Canacona, Pernem, Panjim, Ponda, and Sanquelim will also be treated to the colourful processions of float parades. Be there to catch a glimpse of the festival of Gods.

Make your Shimgo holiday extra-special

There are four Club Mahindra resorts in Goa: Club Mahindra Acacia Palms, Club Mahindra Emerald Palms, Club Mahindra Varca, and Club Mahindra Assonora, Goa. Each of these resorts will make for the perfect base camp for your Great Goan Shimgo Adventure. With the festive atmosphere and the signature Club Mahindra hospitality your holiday to Goa will be one to remember.

Goa will never let you sit still. It offers such an abundance of things to do and places to explore that it will be a packed itinerary. With a few exceptions, Goa is closed for the festival of Gods. But as soon as Shimgo wraps up, Goa gets back to business. Water sports is the most popular beach holiday activity.

But there’s also scuba diving at Grand Island, a cruise over River Mandovi, a visit to Dudhsagar Falls, paragliding at Anjuna, cycling at Chorao Island, and a hot air balloon ride at Assolda. There’s so much to do! If you want to take it easy, lounge on the beaches. Explore Tito’s Street to catch the party vibes and get into the groove.

Shimgotsav is your chance to explore a different side of Goa. A holiday in Goa is a fun outing, regardless of what you do. Pack your bags of add more colours to your holidays.

Related Article: Exploring Goa, The Right Way: Slow and Steady

About Mahindra Holidays

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited (MHRIL), India’s leading player in the leisure hospitality industry, offers quality family holidays as also stated by Club Mahindra Membership Reviews and Club Mahindra Reviews, primarily through vacation ownership memberships. While Club Mahindra is the flagship brand offering Club Mahindra Membership, other brands offered by the company are – Club Mahindra Resorts Fundays and Svaastha Spa. As of Mar 31, 2019, MHRIL has 61+ resorts across India and abroad and its subsidiary, Holiday Club Resorts Oy, Finland, a leading vacation ownership company in Europe has 33 resorts across Finland, Sweden and Spain. Visit us at https://www.clubmahindra.com/