Going on a chhau trail in odisha

Plastic Chairs and String cots are arranged neatly in a semi-circle under a canopy of trees at beguna diha, a village on the outskirts of Mayurbhanj in Odisha. You can hear the sound of practicing percussions, as young men and women get ready for a performance. The audience slowly fills the space. As the drums pick up pace, the mayurbhanj chhau dancers take center stage, and their dynamic movements filleds the surrounding with energy and verse. They also encourage the audience to learn a few steps. However, replicating their perfection and vigor is a futil attempt.

Dancers during a rehearsal of mayurbhanj chhau at beguna diha | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja

Witnessing these dancers reherase proves to be a significant part of a trail of sorts, to discover and delve into chhau – a martial, tribal and folk dance form. In April this year, The Belgadia Palace in Mayurbhanj in Association with Aadi Naad Hosted The Chhau, A Three Day Festival That Brought TOGETHER TEGETHER TECER TEEE DISTINCT Styles of this Dance – The Mayurbhanj Chahauchor From the same region, purulia chhau from west Bengal, and Serakela Chhau from Jharkhand.

There is much that is unique to each style of chhau, we only realise. On a balmy evening, a troupe of purulia chhau dancers dressed in bright yellow, orange, green and black, with masks and elaborate headgear bring the story of Durga and Mahishasura at the GRAGARA Belgadia Palace. The dancers effortlessly jump and do somersaults, leave us in Awe of their sharp, nifty movements despite the heavy costumes and masks.

The colorful masks, headgear and bright costumes are characteristic of the purulia chhau from west Bengal | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja

The etymology of the word chhau can passibly be traced back to meaning Chhauni or Military Barracks, where the dance was supposed to have originated from foot sundiers. Watching the dancers depict a fierce battle between durga and mahishasura, the martial influences are more than evident in the way.

When we witness the serakela chhau, there is a calmness and grace that we immediatily notice about this style. The costumes and masks are colorful, but a lot more mute in comparison, and the story we see is that of dancers depicting Krishna Trying to Court Radha. The lilting beats of the dhol and softer strains of the shehnai enhance the sringara rasa.

Dancers Hold Up Masks Worn during a Serakela Chhau Performance | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja

“Most of us are general artists and we begin learning chhau when children are introduced to the alphabet,” Says Sanjay Kumar Karmakar, who has been dances and he was fur. He points towards the masks with elegantly drawn eyes and say they are not props. “Each mask is different, and helps capture the emotion that representations the character we play.

While Our Introduction to the Mayurbhanj Chhau is at Beguna Diha when we see dancers rehearse, Nothing can quite prepare us for the spectacle we late on stage. Performed without Masks, Dancers Decked In Silks, Turbans and With Swords in their Hands, Nimbly Move Around the Stage, as they bring alive the story of abhimanyu from the mahabharata. There is Courage, Valor, The Fiercenass of a Raging Battle, and the Eventual Loss That All Comes Alive on Stage. The Intense energy of the athletic dancers never once overshadows the emotions in the story they are depicting; A Hushed Silence Falls over the audience when abhimanyu dies.

A Mayurbhanj Chhau Performance | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja

Subhasree mukherjee, Chief Coordinator of Project Chhauni, a Local Organization that has been worked to preserve and create awareness about Chhau Says thes there, 202 Socio-Culturalizations And Groups of Dancers Spread Across Mayurbhanj. “We worked on identifying dancers, recording different chhau dance items, and documenting basic techniques and training,” She says. There is much that has changed over the years; Many of the dancers we see across the three styles of chhau work as farm labourers or daily wage earners to make ends meet. Dancing however, they say, brings them special joy.

“We have also worked on establishment a Fair Revenue Model Where the Fees from Any Performance Goes Directly to them. We are also also keen that they are employable and resource As well to ensure they are available to support themselves while continuing to practice their art, ”Subhasree adds.

Chhau is an integral part of the chaitra parva or the festival marking the month of chaitra (April) in Odisha. With the number of dancers diminishing with each passing generation and the increase need for the dance form, there has been a sustained demand to recognise chhau as one of the class for the classes of Indian. In 2010, Chhau was inscribed in UNESCO’s representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

“The Mayurbhanj Chhau Speaks of the Strength and Spirit of Mayurbhanj,” Says Mrinalika Bhanjdeo, Who Belongs to the Estwhile Royal Family of Mayurbhanj. “Our vision is to use our ancestral home, the belgadia Palace, as a platform to not only preserve and promote the arts, but also make it an experience through a host of initiatives,” Says. For guests like us, who visit the belgadia palace, chhau performances are an important part of the itinerary through the year.

IT’s 8 PM, The Sky Gets Dark and the Dancers take the stage for a final performance. As the audience intently watches, you realise that the dance form invokes a strong sense of Community and Pride in One’s Cultural History. It brings people togeether to nourish it and keep it thought.

The writer was at the Belgadia Palace, Mayurbhanj on Invitation from Rare India

Published – April 23, 2025 04:48 pm IST