What is Chhau of Mayurbhanj?

What is Chhau of Mayurbhanj?

Mayurbhanj, located in the northern part of Odisha is famous for its Chhau dance. The warriors in this dance dress in their traditional costumes and follow strict techniques of Chhau while performing the dance. These are Mayurbhanj, Saraikela, Puruliya. In the past, these three regions were under one administration.

Is Chhau of Mayurbhanj a martial dance?

Chhau is an Indian tribal martial dance form popular in Saraikela (Bihar), Purulia (West Bengal) and Mayurbhanj (Odisha).

Who invented Chhau dance?

Chhau, a form of tribal martial dance of India, is believed to have originated in the former princely state of Mayurbhanj. Today, three variations of the dance are performed in eastern India – Seraikella Chhau in Jharkhand, Mayurbhanj Chhau in Orissa, and Purulia Chhau in West Bengal.

Where was Chhau dance born?

Chhau dance (Odia: ଛଉ ନାଚ chau nāca, Bengali: ছৌ নাচ chau nāc, Hindi: छऊ नृत्य chau nr̥tya)also spelled as Chau or Chhaau, is a semi classical Indian dance with martial and folk traditions, with origins in the Kalinga(Odisha) region from Mayurbhanj, and panned out to its variants in the states of West Bengal and …

Who is famous for chhau?

From the age of 14 I began studying the basics of dance and music with the famous Seraikella Chhau dancer Late Guru Natasekhar Banbihari Pattanayak, and Guru Padma Shri Rajkumar S.N. Singhdeo and Padma Shri Guru Kedar Nath Sahoo.

What is Chhau festival?

The Chhau Festival is a significant festival for the people of Orissa, which continues for three successive days. The Festival is observed by the ‘Bhuiyans Tribe’ in numerous areas of Orissa, particularly in Koraput, where the celebration is praised with most extreme intensity.

What is the meaning of Chhau dance?

Chhau dance is a tradition from eastern India that enacts episodes from epics including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, local folklore and abstract themes. Its three distinct styles hail from the regions of Seraikella, Purulia and Mayurbhanj, the first two using masks.

Who is famous in chhau?

Which style of Chhau does not use a mask and which style does?

Chhau is mainly categorized into three styles—Mayurbhanj, Saraikella and Purulia. Mayurbhanj Chhau does not use masks, giving the dancers more scope to use their body and explore movement, often in ballet style. In Chhau, the shehnai and drums, like the dhumsa and dhol, do most of the talking.

How is Karakattam performed?

Karakattam is traditionally performed in a saree. However, attire can vary as the main property is to have a karakam (Pot) on the head of the dancer. The Madras High Court issued a directive to disallow alcohol consumption when attending karakattam performances and to not do performances which are “obscene and vulgar”.

What is Kalinga Mahotsav?

Kalinga Mahotsav or National Festival of Martial Dance is celebrated to mark the major victory of peace over war when Kalinga (part of Odisha) once witnessed a battle during the reign of Ashoka.

Which state is famous for Chhau dance?

Jharkhand
The chhau, a unique form of masked dance, is preserved by the royal family of the former state of Saraikela in Jharkhand. The dancer impersonates a god, animal, bird, hunter, rainbow, night, or flower.

What is Mayurbhanj Chhau dance form?

Mayurbhanj Chhau dance form has a long history. Originally a tribal dance, which originated from the forests of Mayurbhanj, Odisha in the 18th century, it got the status of a martial art form in the 19th century. Slowly & steadily Mayurbhanj Chhau left its martial character and mellowed.

Who is the founder of the Mayurbhanj Chhau Festival?

It was launched on 19th May 2016 By Sri Rajesh Prabhakar Patil (Collector and D.M , Mayurbhanj) at Baripda, Mayurbhanj. The Project was prepared by Ms. Subhasree Mukherjee a chhau dancer and resident of Mayurbhanj, who has also worked closely with chhau artiste and organizers in the past.

Is Mayurbhanj Chhau visual poetry?

Sunil Kothari, a great dance scholar and critic has described Mayurbhanj Chhau as “visual poetry”. Would you agree? Well Guruji certainly does, and believe me it’s not very often that he does.

What is the Chhau dance of Orissa called?

The Chhau dance of Orissa is known is the Mayurbhanj Chhau. Chhau dance is also famous in Jharkhand and Bengal where they are known as Seraikella chhau and Purulia chhau respectively. The costumes wore in the chhau dances are different for different forms of chhau, but the story depicted by all types of chhau dances are almost the same.

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