![]() ![]() Once you reach the village, you will see that mask shops, also used as workshops by the artists, on both sides of the road. Bird masks – for peacock, swan and Jatayu from epic RamayanaĬhhau dance performance Chau Mask-making Workshops in Charida Village.Animal masks – for tiger, lion, buffalo and apes from the Ramayana (Bali and Sugrib).Nari masks – for women characters particularly Goddesses (Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati, Sita).Bir masks – for demons (Ravana, Mahishasur, Tarakasur, Sumbha, Nisumbha).Babu Masks – for Gods (Shiva, Narayana, Ganesha, Kartik and Krishna).I saw another distinct list, categorising different kinds of masks made by the artisans, displayed inside the Folk Art Centre run by the co-operative of mask-makers in Charida village, which I have mentioned below. ![]() They can be broadly categorized into masks for Gods and Goddesses, masks for demons and ghosts, masks for human characters, and masks for animal characters. Several kinds of masks are made by the artisans depending on the themes and characters that are portrayed. While it acts as a metaphor for the audience, artists can easily get into the character once they place the masks in front of the faces. The use of a mask is important for both the artist and the audience. These large colourful masks are an identity of Purulia Chau. Types of Purulia Chau MasksĬhau masks are of immense importance for Chau Dance. Colours are then applied, and the masks are decorated with beads, ribbons, artificial flowers and leaves. A small Chau-mask making workshop in CharidaĪfter it’s dried, the cloth is removed carefully, and the mask is plastered with khori mati - soil with high calcium content. A cloth smeared with clay placed over the coating, and a wooden carving tool is used to polish the mask and create facial features like eyes, nose and mouth. Next, a thin coating of bele mati (soil with high sand content) is applied to each mask. Then, the newspaper shreds, 8-15 layers thick, are pasted on the clay masks before they are left out to dry under the sun for a day. Now, ash is poured over the frames before the papers are stuck with adhesive. These clay masks work as frames for the rest of the process. Then the clay is shaped into masks by the master craftsmen. Process of Chau-mask makingĬhau mask-making is an elaborate process and takes several days.įirst, the clay is collected from the banks of a rivulet flowing beside Charida village. As a result, this caste-based exclusiveness started fading, and members from other communities started making masks. But as Chau Dance got global recognition and tourists started pouring to Charida village, the local economy started growing based on Chau mask-making. These families, settled in Charida, subsequently started making masks for Chau dancers as well, in addition to making deities of the royal family.įor a long time, only members from the Sutradhar community used to make these masks. More than a century back, when local king Madan Mohan Singh Deo invited 20 Sutradhar families from Burdwan and gave them lands in Charida, they were asked to build the new idols of deities in the palace. In the old days, mask makers were mostly from one single community called Sutradhars. Pin this image to save the link and read the post later!! And the use of masks started to help the audience to communicate with the characters that are being portrayed. And when Chau Dance became popular in the community, dancers started to form groups and incorporated stories from the Epic Hindu literature like Ramayana and Mahabharata, and Puranas to make the performances more interesting. Then gradually, they started to use colours to paint the faces. The performers used to cover their faces with ash. It was initially performed as an imitation of the animals with the rhythm of local instruments. In the initial days, Chau was just a part of many folk dances performed by tribes for invocation of Lord Shiva for endowing them with rain after the onset of summer. The Purulia Chhau mask is registered in the List of Geographical Indications in India. Purulia Chau masks are of larger sizes and jazzy decorations, which make them heavier. Though Seraikella and Purulia Chau dancers both use masks, the masks used for Purulia Chau are quite distinct from Seraikella Chau’s. In the three subgenres of Chau Dance, Mayurbhanj Chau does not use a mask, whereas a mask is a part of Serakella Chau and is used extensively in Purulia Chau Dance. Chau Dance got local kings’ patronage from the early nineteenth century that helped more people recognise it. It is not clear from when Chau Dance was practised by tribal communities in the eastern part of Chotonagpur Plateau. Chau Mask-making Workshops in Charida VillageĪlthough the Chau mask is an integral part of the Purulia Chau Dance, it was not there initially. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |