Basuki Naag

Basuki is a great king of the naagas (serpents) with a gem on his head. He is the brother of Manasa.

In a popular legend in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, Basuki took part in the Samudra Manthan, the churning of the ocean of milk. Basuki allowed the gods and the demons to bind him to Mount Mandar and use him as their rope to churn and extract the ambrosia of immortality.

Purulia Chhau is a folk dance-theatre tradition found in West Bengal and Jharkhand in eastern India. The folk legends of these areas are depicted in the performance where these masks personify the different characters.