chhau
dance
Learn about this topic in these articles:
Indian folk dance
- In South Asian arts: Folk dance
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. He acts out a short theme and performs a series of vignettes…
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Jharkhand
- In Jharkhand: Cultural life
…recognized of Jharkhand’s dances is chhau, an elaborate masked dance of the southeastern region, particularly the Saraikela and East Singhbhum districts. Although once a village tradition associated with Chaitra Parva, a festival held every April in honour of the god Shiva, chhau eventually received royal patronage and then state sponsorship;…
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