Clay, soft paper, diluted glue, cloth, mud, fine ash powder etc.
The Chhau mask is a traditional cultural heritage of Purulia in the Indian state of West Bengal.[1] The Chhau mask of Purulia is registered on the List of Geographical Indications.[2] As the basic difference of Purulia Chhau the mask is unique and traditional.
It is the mask which differentiates the Purulia Chhau from its other two significant branches: the Seraikella Chhau of Jharkhand and the Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha. The Jharkhand counterpart does involve masks but they are rather simpler, small and evocative, without any of the pompous vibrancy of the Purulia variants.[3] While the Mayurbhanj type is an unmasked form. It is the Purulia form only that uses large evocative masks along with elaborate costumes that intensify the energetic performance, despite the challenges to physicalization.[3]
The mask allows the artists to morph into the character — therefore Anusua Mukherjee notes that when an artists wears a particular mask, he or she “gets into character immediately, transforming into mellow Kartik, fierce Ravana, or Durga’s ferocious lion”.[3] Chhau artist Anil Mahato says, “Shiva danced the tandava : wearing his mask brings in that frisson for me.”[4] One could perhaps imagine the centrality of the mask to Chhau dance with the Thalia or the Melpomene masks used in Greek Comedy and Tragedy theatres respectively, or perhaps the masks used in mystery plays during the middle ages[5]
^"The Official Website of Purulia District". purulia.gov.in. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
^"Bengal handicrafts to get new fillip with GI tags". The Hindu. PTI. 2016-08-16. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
^ abcCite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Chau - Wonder Mask, retrieved 2023-02-01
^"A Comparative Study of Chhau Masks of Eastern India and Ancient Greek". StageBuzz. 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
The Chhaumask is a traditional cultural heritage of Purulia in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Chhaumask of Purulia is registered on the List of...
spirit. Chhau is a dance style originating from the regions of East India. It may have been derived from Sanskrit Chāya (shadow, image or mask). Others...
and Orisha chhau is in the use of the mask. Purulia chhau used the mask in dance, but Orisha does not have the mask thereby adding facial expression with...
between the Purulia chhau and Orisha chhau is in the use of the mask. Purulia chhau used the mask in dance, but Orisha does not have the mask thereby adding...
Look up chhau in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Chhau may refer to: Chhau dance in India ChhauMask of Purulia district Chhau, Jhunjhunu, an Indian...
the village of Chhaumask makers, lies just south of the southern boundary of the hills. It is said that the mask making for famous ‘Chhau’ dance started...
Karamgeet, and Tusugeet. It is also the birthplace of a martial dance of Bengal Chhau. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come to visit Purulia annually to witness...
SnowLion". Snow Lion Tour. "Tibetan Buddhist Symbols". A view on Buddhism. "ChhauMask". INDIAN CULTURE. Ministry of Culture (India). Retrieved 27 August 2023...
and 12th centuries. Chhau dance is a unique martial, tribal and folk art of Bengal. Wearing an earthy and theatrical Chhaumask, the dance is performed...
Chhau." "The Kirat-Kiratin avtar of Shiva and Durga is the inspiration" behind the Chhaumask. Apart from their traditional use in the Purulia chhau dance...
celebrated in Bengal Bandel Church Colours for Dol. Abir on sale at a market ChhauMask dance parforming in the field Muslims gather at Muharram procession in...
introducing Mayurbhanj Chhau to the United States at the 1978 Asian Dance Festival in Hawaii and later at the Olympic Arts Festival of Masks in Los Angeles and...
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