The 18th June Road wore a festive look on Saturday as the romtamels, mythological floats, folk dance troupes and fancy dress participants took the Shigmo celebration in Panjim to a crescendo.
Soon after the romtamels started making their loud presence on the Shigmo route, the crowd started pouring in and gradually grew in numbers.
The organisers said this year the celebrations have returned to normal with the fear of the Covid pandemic on the back burner.
They informed that this year 18 floats, 9 romtamels, 4 folk dance troupes and 50 fancy dress (31 juniors and 19 seniors) were registered for the Panjim Shigmotsav before the start of the parade.
They said the floats were judged on the basis of presentation and portrayal of 'traditional story' as depicted in the holy scriptures. The romtamels were judged based on the folk quotient, presentation and overall performance.
Among the junior category fancy dress participants was 5-year-old Reyan Madkaikar from Cumbharjua, who portrayed Sant Tukaram. His excited and nervous mother, Rashmi Madkaikar, said this was Reyan's first Shigmo appearance.
Earlier, the festivities started after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant offered shrifal at the start of the parade route.
Union Minister Shripad Naik, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanawade, Shigmotsav Committee President Srinivas Dhempo, Working President Mangaldas Naik and other office bearers were also present.
Sawant asserted that Shigamotsav was the essence of Goan culture and the government was working to take this tradition forward with everyone. The excitement of Shigmo festival in Panjim is unique, he added.
Union Minister Shripad Naik said that the work of the Panjim Shigmotsav Committee was admirable. "There is a need to show the diversity of Goa's culture to the world and through such programmes this can be achieved, he stated.
It is difficult to say how many people witnessed Shigmo, however, one could see crowds lined up on both sides of the float parade route on the 18th June Road which was a sea of colour.
Despite the heatwave conditions and humidity, a large number of people poured out of their homes and onto the street to witness the Shigmo extravaganza.