The Mask Art and Chhau Dance Of Purulia : A Eternal Trend of Folk Culture/ পুরুলিয়ার মুখোশ শিল্প ও ছৌ-নৃত্য : লোকসংস্কৃতির এক চিরনূতন ধারা

Abstract

The art of West Bengal is a great example of Indian artistic skill. Artistically the art of West Bengal has aesthetic and cultural novelty. The artistic heritage of West Bengal is very rich in music, dance, painting, mask work, architecture, sculpture etc. The use of mask is seen in the folk dance of West Bengal. Masks are made in Baghmundi-Charida village of Purulia district. Chhau mask is born in this village. This colourful mask is used for chhau a famous folk dance of Purulia district. This colourful marks are used in chhau dance to portray mythological characters and as a part of folk culture. Chhau of Purulia has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tags which deserve a lot of praise and tradition.

           The preparation of war as the excitement of victory task an aesthetic form through dance. Actually the chhau dance was the achievement of pursuit by demonstrating physical skill. The ‘Ulfa’ indicates that the dance is performed with various colours on face. Buy 1953 porters from Burdwan came to build Radha Govind temple and idols of the invitation of Samnta king. Coloured masks where ereated under the influence of this artist. From the ‘Kathak Thakur’ and Brahmin, ‘Sutradhar’ of Charida village of Purulia Baghmundi area got an elder idea about the various variation of faces of various mythological characters. At first the face is made with raw soil or clay soil. Then it is coated with ash, then with the paper layers is given on the other. Then they are dried in the sunlight and covered with a thin layer of clay. In this way the folds of the eyes, mouth and limbs become evident. After that soaked cotton cloth is wrapped around the soil. After when it is dried, the face open with a light pressure, then the mask is rubbed with a ‘markin’ cloth and smoothed it. Then it is painted. After that the decoration of the Mask is completed with ‘lace’, ‘rangta’, ‘chumki’, ‘punti’, ‘plastic flowers’, ‘peacock feather’, ‘small plastic ball’ of different colours etc. Mainly the subject from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the purana has been given importance. No mundane subject or character was given importance in the early Mask making of this region but with the progress of time mundane character gain importance and they were masked.

         Chhau dances performed wearing these masks. Marks and chhau dance are inextricably linked. At the beginning of the each scene of the chhau dance the entire stray or subject is explained to the present spectators through Jhumor songs. As the chhau dance reveals the expression of the face, the artist express the character’s ecpression through the resonance of the limbs contraction, expansion and ‘Ulfa’. Thus the use of masks in chhau dance of purulia has given a different dimension to chhau dance. In short, chhau dance and mask art play an important role as a part of the folk art of Purulia.