Mask-Maker of Charida Village
Culture Clash - a conflict arising from the interaction with different cultural values....
The mask-maker in his workshop with a unfinished mask of Lord Ganesha unknowingly wearing a T-shirt displaying texts of different cultural origin!
Charida............One of the last hamlets of the finest Chhau mask-makers
Chhau is perhaps the oldest masked dance in the world having originated in the soldiers barracks of the past when Rarh (part of Bengal and Bihar state of India) was a mighty military nation. Chhau masks became an indispensable element of Chhau dance. As it is impossible for the artist to show mood variations through facial expressions, the expression in the mask's face is very important to illustrate different moods.
Charida, the village that provides some of the best masks, is near Baghmundi block of Purulia district (West Bengal, India). Around 250 artisans from 60-70 families, mostly belong to the Sutradhar clan, are engaged in making these extraordinarily beautiful masks for generations. The mask-maker needs extremely high artistic perfection and the detailed knowledge of the epic and mythology is also essential to express the shade of a particular character.
The artisans of Charida normally have their workshops in their own houses along the main road for direct trade with customers. They are busy round the year and, practically every house and every member of the household is seen occupied in making masks or assembling decorations for headgears. The masks produced from this village cater the needs of Chhau dance groups of entire Medinipur, Purulia and Bankura districts.
Beautiful Bengal, India
Mask-Maker of Charida Village
Culture Clash - a conflict arising from the interaction with different cultural values....
The mask-maker in his workshop with a unfinished mask of Lord Ganesha unknowingly wearing a T-shirt displaying texts of different cultural origin!
Charida............One of the last hamlets of the finest Chhau mask-makers
Chhau is perhaps the oldest masked dance in the world having originated in the soldiers barracks of the past when Rarh (part of Bengal and Bihar state of India) was a mighty military nation. Chhau masks became an indispensable element of Chhau dance. As it is impossible for the artist to show mood variations through facial expressions, the expression in the mask's face is very important to illustrate different moods.
Charida, the village that provides some of the best masks, is near Baghmundi block of Purulia district (West Bengal, India). Around 250 artisans from 60-70 families, mostly belong to the Sutradhar clan, are engaged in making these extraordinarily beautiful masks for generations. The mask-maker needs extremely high artistic perfection and the detailed knowledge of the epic and mythology is also essential to express the shade of a particular character.
The artisans of Charida normally have their workshops in their own houses along the main road for direct trade with customers. They are busy round the year and, practically every house and every member of the household is seen occupied in making masks or assembling decorations for headgears. The masks produced from this village cater the needs of Chhau dance groups of entire Medinipur, Purulia and Bankura districts.
Beautiful Bengal, India