CHAU MASKS- AT PURULIA

 

Chau Dance, an acrobatic martial dance form of Purulia is inscribed in UNESCO’S Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Chau Mask is traditionally associated with this age old dance form of Purulia, where the performers wear masks of various mythological characters and also make different animals. Chau is indigenous to the eastern part of India. It originated as a martial art and contains vigorous movements and leaps.The masks are made from paper pulp, mud and clay. Adornments are sometimes done with feathers of peacocks. The masks are painted in attractive shades using acrylic colors and have a bold look. The masks are of different sizes starting from small to large ones. The mask making industry today has come a long way from making products only for the artists and are now skilled in making masks of different shapes and sizes for interior decors. Around 150 years back during the rule of King Madan Mohan Singh Deo of Bagmundi, the tradition of making Chau Masks started in Charida village. Presently there are around 300 traditional artisans of Sutradhar community in the village. (Link to ....Impact Study....)

Chau dance, an acrobatic material dance form of Purulia, where the performers wear masks of various mythological characters and also different animals. The masks are made from paper pulp, mud and clay. Adornments are sometimes done with feathers of peacock. The masks are painted in attractive shades using acrylic colours and have a bold look.

[Stories and myth behind-  Chau is inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The masks and dazzling costumes of the dancers make Chau performances a delightful spectre, riotous and revealing. Generally craftspersons make masks of deities, epic and also of tribal characters.]

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