There
are three different forms of Chhau dance. They are Purulia Chhau, Seraikella
Chhau and Mayurbhanj Chhau. However, they are different in some manner, but there’s
no doubt that all three of them have the same inspiration.
If
we look at the geographical relation among the dance forms, we’ll find that
they have originated from the same region. Till the year 1912, Bihar and Odisha
were part of Bengal Presidency. In May, 1948, Seraikella gets separated from
Odisha. Before that, Mayurbhanj and Seraikella were the part of Odisha’s
Singbhum district.
Purulia
was a part of Bihar’s Manbhum district. Later, on 1 November, 1956, it became a district in West Bengal.
Purulia,
Seraikella and Mayurbhanj, all three forms of Chhau have martial element.
However, some distinctions are noticeable when they are analysed thoroughly.
Purulia chhau is all about war which reminds us of tribal fights in the
historic age. On the other hand Mayurbhanj and Seraikella Chhau are more of a
training exercise.
The
use of masks also tells us that Purulia Chhau is the oldest among the three.
The masks used in Purulia chhau are large and simple and has a helmet on it.
Masks used in Seraikella Chhau, on the other hand, are much more expressive,
have work of paint brush on them and they don’t have helmet on them.
Purulia
Chhau showcases Vira Rasa, where Seraikella chhau Showcases Madhu Rasa. Purulia
Chhau performances are usually long (30-40 minutes), where the Seraikella Chhau
performances are short (8-10 minutes). Mayurbhanj chhau is neither long, nor
short. The storyline in Mayurbhanj chhau gets more priority. The impact of old
epics is noticeable, but they are not orthodox as in Purulia chhau.
The
staging system in Purulia chhau also tells us that it is an ancient dance form.
In an open space, under the sky, the stage is set. It is called “Nachshaal”.
Except the one way, from where the artists enter, the audience sits around the
stage. They don’t even have a green room.
But
in Seraikella and Mayurbhanj chhau 2/3 feet stage is set. A green room is made
behind the stage with curtains. The audience sit on the other three sides of
the stage.
According
to Dr. Sudir Karan, “in local tongue, the meaning of the word chhau is clown.
However, there is no such word as ‘chhau’ in Odhiya. The word “chhutto” which
means deceit in Odhiya, is pronounced as “Chhau” in few regions of Bengal close
to Odisha.
In
the context of Mayurbhanj Chhau, it is believed that the word ‘Chhau’ has been
derived from the word “Chhavni” which means military cantonment. In feudal
system, the dances performed at the cantonments have some elements in common
with the dance form of Chhau.
Image Source: mid-day
Some
people believe that in Seraikella, the word chhau has come from the word
“chhaya” which means shadow. Most of the chhau artists support that belief.
In
search of the real meaning of the word ‘Chhau’ it is found that in Purulia, it
means clown. In some parts of Midnapur, it means having fun. So, an inference
can be drawn that in Bengal, the meaning clown has gotten an emphasis.
Image Source: Lonely Planet
As
Seraikella dance form is very delightful and elegant in nature, the meaning of
the word Chhau is considered as shadow by the local people, as this meaning
carries the essence of romanticism which is an important characteristic of this
dance form.
Image Source: The Hindu
On
the other hand, Mayurbhanj dance form has the elemet of martial arts in it.
This is why, in Maayurbhanj, the meaning of Chhau is interpreted as military
cantonment.
According
to Dr. Ashutosh Bhattacharyya, an expert on folk culture, “I believe that the
word has been derived from the Sanskrit word sang (the word is a late Sanskrit)
meaning one who dresses himself to represent another character mostly clown.
The use of masks to transfer one’s identity to another character is a special
feature of the chhau dance.”
There was a time, when things like
rain, ripening of crops, and the warmth of sun used to amuse men as they
couldn’t apprehend the significance of these natural phenomena. That amusement
was often expressed through different forms of dance. Later they started to
believe that their dance could please the nature and by pleasing this unknown
power they could avoid natural calamities.
At that period of time, surviving the
wild was quite tough. That is why men learnt the art of preying pretty quickly.
Before going out for preying, people used to dance to fill those men with
enthusiasm. Sometimes they copied the movements and voices different of
animals. They often used animal skins and masks as a camouflage.
Image Source: gettyimages
Fighting the nature and the wild
wasn’t enough. In order to survive, they used to fight their own kind. With
time they adapted different moves of fighting, which eventually took the form
of dance. History says that, at a certain point of time, the evolution of dance
was influenced by a religion as well.
It has been proven that all these
historical elements are still present in Chhau dance form. If we take a look at
the regions of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal- where Chhau has its roots,
we’ll find that these places are mostly dry and rough in nature. But most of the
people of these regions are farmers and the Chhau programs are held in summer
(between Chaitra and Jaistha), which supports the fact that this dance is
performed to please the nature.
As mentioned earlier, preying has its
reflection in some of the acts of Chhau. In the dance form of Purulia Chhau the
movements of a tiger, deer, peacock, snake and different birds are noticeable.
Acts like “Kirat Karatini Paala” and “Shikar Nritya” show the characteristics
of wild. These facts say that Chhau was actually originated in the ancient age.
The acts of Seraikela Chhau like
“Baanbidhya”, “Parashuram”, “Shabar”,”Sarpnritya” also depict the art of
preying which is also seen in some of the acts of Mayurbhanj Chhau such as
“Shabartoka”, “Jaamdev”, “Kalchakra” etc.
If we look closely, we will see that
in every performance of Chhau, there’s a battle. Every step of Chhau dance,
reminds us of the movement of a warrior. In acts like “Mahishasur Vad”, "Tarakasur Vad”, “Mahiravan Vad”, “Gayasur Vad”, “Ravan Vad”, “Baali-Sugreev
Yudh” and “Krishna-Karthik Yudh”, the battle between two forces is clearly
visible.
Image Source: gettyimages
In the dance form of Seraikela and
Mayurbhanj Chhau, the characteristics of “Fakirkand Khela” and “Rukhmaar” are
very sharp and there’s no doubt that these two dance forms were originated from
battles.
“Astradanda” and “Taravari Nritya” of
Seraikela Chhau try to uphold the ancient art of battle. The Singhdeo rulers of
Seraikela had nurtured this dance form to give it an elegant look and made it
more artistic.
The use of masks also makes Chhau an
ancient dance form. In ancient times, it was said that one could overcome fear
by wearing a mask and triumph over the evil. In Purulia and Seraikela Chhau dance
forms, masks play an integral part.
Chhau wouldn’t have existed in the
modern times if it wasn’t for the tribal people of these regions. Because of
these people Chhau hasn’t faced extinction yet. Tribal hunting and their
martial arts have their touch in the dance forms of Chhau. Even on the masks,
the influence of tribal culture is clearly visible.
Image Source: gettyimages
In the next stages of evolution,
Chhau has been influenced by folk elements as well. The Chhau dance we see
today has a positive folk inspiration, which is far from doubt.
Being a folk dance form, it also possesses
few characteristics of a classical dance form. Great poet Rabindra Nath Tagore
has said, “I have derived great satisfaction from witnessing the Seraikella
dance. The ancient art of classical Indian dancing is gradually heading for
extinction. The Raj family of Seraikella has carefully preserved one of its
characteristic forms from time immemorial- an achievement on which they can
justly take pride.”
Few artists and experts of the dance
form claim that Chhau has its own grammar, but there is no such written
evidence. In Mayurbhanj Chhau, Indian classical music is used. Because, of the
Seraikela Raj family, Chhau has been enriched with few elements classical
dance form.
Watch Mahisasur Mardini in Purulia Chhau Dance Style
