CHHAU DANCE
(Purulia Chhau from Purulia district of West Bengal)
In 2010, the Chhau dance was inscribed in the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Chhau dance is a tradition from eastern India that enacts episodes from epics including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, local folklore and abstract themes.
Its three distinct styles hail from the regions of Seraikella, Purulia and Mayurbhanj, the first two using masks. Chhau dance is intimately connected to regional festivals, notably the spring festival Chaitra Parva.
The name may have been derived from Sanskrit Chāya (shadow, image or mask), Others link it to the Sanskrit root Chadma (disguise).
Its origin is traceable to indigenous forms of dance and martial practices. Its vocabulary of movement includes mock combat techniques; stylized gaits of birds and animals and movements modelled on the chores of village housewives.
Chhau is taught to male dancers from families of traditional artists or from local communities. The dance is performed at night in an open space to traditional and folk melodies, played on the reed pipes mohuri and shehnai.
Chhau is an integral part of the culture of these communities. It binds together people from different social strata and ethnic background with diverse social practices, beliefs, professions and languages.
However, increasing industrialization, economic pressures and new media are leading to a decrease in collective participation with communities becoming disconnected from their roots.
Masks form an integral part of Chhau dance in Purulia and Seraikella styles. The knowledge of dance, music and mask-making is transmitted orally.
Equipment Used -
Nikon D850 + Tamron 90mm f/2.8
Nikon D7200 + Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 DXPro2
Multiple Godox Flash with diffusers
