The Chhau Dancer and his Mask
The dancer in prepartion in portraying the Hindu god, Shiva, the destroyer of the ego and ultimately of the universe in order to re-create it.........
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. 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.
Beautiful Bengal, India
Model Release Available
The Chhau Dancer and his Mask
The dancer in prepartion in portraying the Hindu god, Shiva, the destroyer of the ego and ultimately of the universe in order to re-create it.........
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. 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.
Beautiful Bengal, India
Model Release Available