You’ll never guess where you can see this colourful pageant of folklore and mythology

Goa, that’s where.  The state that travellers usually think of as a place of boozy, beach holidays and, yes, the Carnival, is also home to Shigmotsav, the vibrant spring festival celebrated by Goa’s Hindu community.

The folk festival that thrived in the villages for centuries has now taken the shape of a public celebration marked by colourful pageantry, dance and music and a massive procession that winds through the main streets of the major towns.

While Margao, Ponda and Vasco have their versions, the grand finale, as it were, takes place in Panaji, where locals and tourists line the streets, watching the passing parade – a non-stop display of folk dance and music, inspired by myth and legend, followed by a line-up of spectacular floats.

Having spent all my previous holidays in Goa at shacks on the beach and traipsing through the night markets, this time was a revelation. I came away truly amazed at the display put up by village groups who had certainly put in hours of practice, not to mention effort into getting their costumes and make-up just right.

There were many all-women groups, too, showing off their art forms like dancing with lamps balanced on their heads.

Lots of little children participated in the parade, too, many dressed as little Krishnas, Hanuman or other characters from the Hindu pantheon.

Traditional instruments such as drums and horns were brought out for the grand occasion, and the sounds were often deafening.

In-between the orchestrated performances that swirled through the streets there would be characters dressed up as demons or gods who would stroll past, willingly posing for photos with the crowds.

The Shigmotsav is now promoted by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation which is making a concerted effort to shift some of the attention away from just its beaches and cheap alcohol.

If you ask me, the Shigmotsav was infinitely more watchable than the groups of men on crowded Calangute beach walking around in dripping undies, flaunting pot bellies.