The Shigmo festival coincides with the last month of the
Hindu calendar which begins on Dashmi and at Holi. The village of Barcem came
alive with the beats of the dhol, tashe and kassal on the concluding day of the
Tonniocho Mell, a traditional celebration of Shigmo. The celebrations begun
four days before the Zatra as young boys to elderly men from the Velip
community, all are part of the ritual, where they leave their homes in the
village and walk through different villages, crossing over water bodies and
forests barefooted as they perform from 8 am to 8 pm in the front yards of
these homes. After three days of performing, the villagers are back to Barcem-
Gokuldem where they gather at an especially created Maand, an open space and
the men dance around in a huge circle.
As they perform in front of each house, it is a sight to
behold with the men dancing with two uniform sized bamboo sticks in a
synchronised manner. Every clan consists of around 150-200 people perform at
different houses and their foot work is so quick that you cannot miss a beat.
The last part of the dance is with a lamp with the deity and it is danced in
silence. After each performance, they are offered a coconut, lunch or dinner.
Shigmo is a farmers’ festival that celebrates the arrival of
fresh crop. The newly-wed men sport a different headgear, turo while the other
men wear colourful headgears in the shades of pink, orange and red. Some men
also wear heavy anklets which also adds a unique musical sound to the
performance. The men are away from the village and cannot return to their homes
until they complete the dance at the maand. Even if there is a death in the
family, the men are not allowed to leave the performance mid-way. Their
tradition in celebrating this festival is so strong, that they follow the
rituals no matter what comes their way, barefoot with a passion for the village
life.
