Manasa

Manasa is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes, worshipped mainly in Bengal for the prevention and cure of snakebite and also for fertility and prosperity.

Manasa is the sister of Vasuki, king of snakes and the wife of Jagatkuru. Also known as Visahara or the destroyer of poison, she is depicted as kind to her devotees but harsh to those who refuse to worship her.

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 are used to personify the different characters.