It is best described by the colour pink which is the colour in vogue at Zambaulim, a picturesque village on the banks of the river kushavati about 21 km from Margao which comes alive today by extending Goa’s version of Holi to mark a centuries old tradition of Gulalutsav during the festival of Shigmo in Goa
There are no records of when the festival began, but it is said that during the Portuguese regime, some temples were destroyed including the temple of Shri Damodar in Margao. The devotees tried their best to take away the idol of Damodar but were unsuccessful, so they carried only a side of the top part and took it to Zambaulim, in Sanguem where a new temple was built and the linga installed at the ‘garbhakudd’ (special sacred room).
The week long festivities start with a coconut puja on Wednesday or Thursday from the Keni house and the religious procession leads to Zambaulim where the mahajans of the deity “Lord Damodar” hand over the running of the temple to the Madgaokars ( residents of Margao) for a week and take it back on the last day of shigmo during the Dhul-bhet celebration. Thousands of devotees are also offered meals throughout the week.
The festival was previously celebrated by 10 families, but since 1972, with a committee formed, passed on the responsibility to celebrate Gulal, to the people of Margao. On this day commercial activities at the city of Margao come to a standstill as the shops close down the shutters, since the owners and devotees of Damodar go to Zambaulim to pay obeisance to the Lord.
Inputs From: ‘Feasts, Festivals and Observances of Goa’ by Maria Lourdes Bravo Da Costa Rodrigues.