Chhau mask making ছৌ মুখোশ

Chhau masks are made for Chhau, a dance tradition of eastern India that enacts episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, local folklore and abstract themes. Its three styles come from Seraikella, Purulia and Mayurbhanj, and the first two use masks. Its origin is traced to indigenous forms of dance and martial practice, and it is tied to regional festivals, especially the spring festival Chaitra Parva. It was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010 (UNESCO, Chhau dance).

Where they are made

The masks of Charidah village, in the Baghmundi block of Purulia district, are used in the dance. Around 250 artisans of the village work in the craft (Purulia District Administration, Charidah). The traditional mask makers there are of the Sutradhar community. The West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board dates mask making in the village to around 150 years ago, during the rule of King Madan Mohan Singh Deo of Baghmundi (West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board, Chau masks at Purulia).

How they are made

Clay is laid over a base of cane or wood to make a mould. When it dries, it is lifted from the base and covered with papier-mâché, then with another layer of clay, and strips of cotton cloth strengthen the shell. The mask dries over 3 days, and jute and acrylic wool add details such as facial hair. Paint and further decoration come last (Impart, Chhau Masks). The Board describes the masks as made from paper pulp, mud and clay, painted in acrylic colours and sometimes adorned with peacock feathers (West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board, Chau masks at Purulia).

What they show

A Purulia mask covers the whole face and reaches over the top of the head to the base of the skull. A halo of wire, decorated with beads and sequins, is added around the top to mark a deity, a demon or a forest animal. The characters include the goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura, and figures from the Mahabharata and Ramayana such as Arjuna and Lakshmana. Rama's mask is green and Krishna's blue, Ganesha wears an elephant mask, and Shiva's mask has serpents and matted hair (Impart, Chhau Masks).

Mask makers once worked only for the dancers. Today they also make masks in many shapes and sizes for interior decoration (West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board, Chau masks at Purulia).