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Urkult Festival
Jagannath Choudhury2018
Banglanatak
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
This image is of a Chau dance group led by Chau artist Jagannath Choudhury performing at the Urkult Festival in Sweden in 2019. One can see the circular format of the performance space which is also common in the village shows. The dancers are used to having audience all around and the open space helps them in freely carrying out their vigorous acrobatic movements.
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Details
- Title: Urkult Festival
- Creator: Jagannath Choudhury
- 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: Chau is an acrobatic mask dance form from Purulia district of West Bengal. Colourful masks, rhythmic drum beats, powerful acrobatic movements and somersaults are characteristics of the Purulia Chau. The traditional dance is performed at open spaces at the rhythm of various kinds of traditional musical instruments that include Dhol, Dhamsa, Charchari, Tikra and Nagara, Mahuri, Sanai and Flute. The stories are traditionally based on mythological tales. The dancers wear colourful masks representing particular gods, goddesses, demons, monsters and various animals such as lion, tiger, bear, monkey, etc. Chau Dance features on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.
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