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Mask-makers' Workshops at Charida
2018
Banglanatak
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
The simple village street of Charida has become an attraction point for tourists because of the skilled craftspersons who stay and work there. The artists not only sell masks but also interact with the tourists, take them to the local community museum and also explain the mask-making process to them. This adds to the unique experience of the visitors.
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Details
- Title: Mask-makers' Workshops at Charida
- Date Created: 2018
- Location: Purulia
- Subject Keywords: Chau, Dance, Tribal, Purulia, Artists, Bengal, Festival, Mask Dance, Masks, UNESCO, ICH
- Rights: Banglanatak.com
- About the craft: Charida in Purulia is the village of mask makers for Chau dance. Traditionally this community used to earn their livelihood from making Chau dance masks for the local performances. Their work was seasonal, linked to the Chau performances, and they were essentially a sub-industry of this performing art. No one thought of them as skilled crfatspersons solely by virtue of their unique craftsmanship. Banglanatak dot com had done substantial work with them to create a separate identity for their skills and train them to diversify their markets. The village mostly developed organically after initial interventions, and today it is a known hub of mask makers. All the porches of these artists' houses are workshops of mask making from where they also sell. The entire street looks stunning with these masks of bright colours hung in and outside every workshop with benches outside for anyone to sit and watch the artists at work and buy masks. Tourists and customers come often to visit them and buy masks and they are very busy with work throughout the year! It is a colourful, high spirited, happy street with men and women either moulding or painting masks.
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