The culture of chhau dance was nurtured amidst the communities that inhabited the tribal tracks of the three bordering districts of Puruliya, Mayurbhanj and Saraikela situated in the states of West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand respectively.
Chhau is derived from the word ‘Chavni’ or military camp and traces its meaning to the rigorous martial movements practiced by the soldiers.
Even the music they use, came from the instruments that are primarily martial in nature.
Rhythm is the music of chhau, and the rhythmic composition is interpreted through percussion instruments.
Their instruments include the ‘dhol’, the ‘DHMSA’, the ‘chachari’, and the modern electronic music system also include the ‘Casio’.
The ‘muhuri’ and ‘shahnai’ provide the melody.
Expansive movements of the body echo the powerful sounds of the ‘drums’.
The dynamism of chhau movements is used effectively by using a combination of composition techniques and body, to express the emotion.
Masks have defined the way in which the body is used to express emotions and feelings. They are one of the focal points of the chhau technique and is a major element of Puruliya and Saraikela.
But even here, there are varieties, and the variations can be noticeably distinguished in the masks of the Chhau dance groups from different places.
· For Puruliya based troupes, masks are developed in the likeness of the images of the goddess that are worshipped in Bengal.
· On the other hand, Saraikela masks are influencedby the painting styles of Orissa.
· And in Mayurbhanj, make up and costumes define the characters and masks aren’t used frequently.
The identity of the dancer is concealed, and the character of the masks take over, and the dance transcends to an almost live action play.
Different parts of the country witness different variations of the chhau dance.
In Puruliya, the story of the victory of goddess Durga over demon Mahishashur is mostly performed.
In Mayurbhanj, the cosmic dance of Shivanataraja is performed and
in Saraikela, the subtle abstraction of night into ‘rattray’, based on the Rattray’s soup from the Rig Veda is mostly performed.
Legend has it that the king of Sinhbhum, Maharaja Aditya Pratap Singh, who ruled parts of Bihar from 1931 to 1947 was a patron of this dance-form in the 13th Century A.D. The male royals also became performers and choreographers and helped propagate and popularise the art.
One such group who have been involved in this dance form for 3 generations now is the Mahamaya Chhau Nritya troupe of Purulia. A group of 25 to 30 members, they are well-known for their dance appearance in the 2013 Kamaleshwar Mukherjee masterpiece called ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’.
"Jaladhar Kumar" the captain or ‘ostaad’ of the group, as known in their local language has been dancing since he was only 15. Even though he also spends his time farming and taking care of his cattle, he has dedicated his life to his passion of dancing.
In the last 40 years, he has gone from playing ‘bahon’ to now playing one of the most challenging roles of ‘ashur’. The man who is as calm as ice in real life metamorphoses to a personality of extreme rage and evil when puts on his mask and slips into his role of ashur.
He is so famous and respected for his skills, that Gobindopur, the village he lives in, even has an auto stand in his name.
But the person who brings the reality of the dancers’ lives behind their masks, is Giridhari Kumar, the current announcer of Mahamaya Chhau Nritya troup. He talks about the economical adversities the dancers face every day, and how little their performances pay per show.
These dancers leave no stone unturned to feed themselves to take their artform forward, from rehearsing regularly to training the children of the next generation. But Subhash Goswami, the one who takes care of the production aspects of every show, agrees with Giridhari Kumar and expresses concern about the future of their group, especially under the harrowing effects of Covid19 and lockdown.
But what makes these people not give up, is their immense love for the form. They are willing to go the extra mile and stretch their artistic limits as far as they can. One of the best examples would be Bhabataran Kumar, the man behind the woman, the nortoki.
The man transforms into an exceptionally graceful heroine as each layer of make-up goes up on Bhabataran’s face one by one. Eyes lined with kajal, lips colored in crimson, he sheds his skin and embraces the femininity in his soul while performing.
But for most characters though, make up is not enough to assert the roles that they are playing in the act. That’s where the colourful and extravagant masks come in. Each character has unique and grand masks, that they don on to justify their mighty roles.
These masks are made and sold by the Sutradhar community in the mask market of Puruliya itself. The community gets its name from the same surname of different families living there in the locality. The village is evenly distributed on both sides of a street that splits in half. From angry demon face masks to holy faces of gods and goddesses, the street feels like a treat for the eyes. The village even has a museum dedicated to the mask making artform, showcasing masks of all sizes and styles.
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Hence as we can see, a living tradition of the legacy of Chhau has been handed down from generation to generation for years now.
Many from the community are fifth and sixth generation artist.
A son learns the craft from his father and often times the only legacy bequeathed is the legacy of art.
Engaged in the daily vigour of earning a livelihood, they engage in mostly farming and various works means as art does not always provide for daily sustenance.
It does however sustain the spirit as most artist in the community forget their mundane existence when they transform into the character they play.
It is for them, that an effort to preserve a legacy that connects them to their past, their souls & their meaning of life.
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