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Gangasagar Mela 2017

A Sadhu (Hindu Ascetic) posed as Lord Shiva in disguise at Gangasagar

 

Bahurupis in Bengal

A group of folk performers who assume several forms [In Sanskrit 'bahu' (many) and 'rupa' (form)] and playfully take on different identities. The bahurupis portray several hundred characters borrowing stories from epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata; folk tales of gods and goddesses in disguise; stories built around common characters and inspirational stories about personalities.

 

For make-up, the bahurupi uses ingredients like zinc oxide, vaseline, coconut oil, vermilion powder and alaktaka liquid. In West Bengal, bahurupis have been around for the past 150 years. They still function in West Bengal in and around the districts of Birbhum, Burdwan, Murshidabad, Hooghly, Medinipur and Nadia.

 

 

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Uploaded on March 7, 2017
Taken on January 14, 2017