Purulia Chhau Mask Dance

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Whenever I close my eyes and think of Purulia, all I see are undulating fields, soft rolling hills, verdant forests, splashing waterfalls, quaint tree shaded villages and red earth rural lanes. However, none of them are as poignant as the memory of the region‘s famous Chhau mask dance performance and the stomping beats of the dancers still resound inside my head. That was my first and only live performance experience of Chhau and I had stumbled upon the iconic dance through a television advertisement. Chhau and Purulia have been synonymous for ages and the vivacity of the advertised dance had taken my breath away. It was filmed against a backdrop of palash trees bursting with red flowers and the scene had been breathtaking. Red dust had risen from underneath the acrobatic steps of the dancers and their dazzling masks had quivered with motion.

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My Purulia Chhau dance experience

In real life, the Chhau dance performance had taken place at night and it was in the middle of cold January. The night sky had been cloudless and the twinkling stars had seemed to shiver. A light mist had veiled the harvested fields and a dense black darkness had pooled around the open air arena. The performance had taken place on the fields in the glaring light of a multitude of halogen lamps and somewhere a train had chugged past noisily. I had sat huddled among groups of villagers who had come to watch the show from nearby villages and accompanying musicians had played from one corner. I had not known what to expect when dancers bearing huge masks had come bounding into the makeshift stage and they had leaped, pounded, somersaulted and stomped to the rhythm of the music. They had depicted many snippets from Indian mythologies and despite having huge masks on, had expressed emotions through their movements.

Recommended Read: Introducing Purulia

A UNESCO World Heritage dance of Chhau

Strangely enough, I found Chhau to be extremely expressive and the dancers‘ seemed to have mastered the art of depicting through their body language. Anger made the huge masks to shake furiously while tranquility made the dancers sway softly. It had been a very impressive performance and I had been awestruck by the agility of the Purulia Chhau masked dancers. A UNESCO World Heritage dance, Chhau originated in Purulia district of West Bengal in India. It is a form of tribal dance that incorporates martial arts into its movements and many scholars believe that the name Chhau is derived from Chhauni‘ which means military camp. Chhau dance movement includes mock combat techniques, stylized gaits of birds, animals, and gestures modeled on the chores of rural housewives.This tradition performing art enacts stories from epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana along with local folklore. Chhau dance has three distinct styles which hail from the regions of Purulia, Seraikella and Mayurbhanj and masks are used by the dancers of the first two. It is usually performed in open air and especially during regional festivals like the Chaitra Parba.

Drum beats, huge swaying masks, and gorgeous folk tales of Purulia Chhau

Mainly taught to and practiced by male dancers from traditional families of artists, music plays an integral part of Chhau. Folk melodies played on reed pipes and accompanied by drum beats dominate Chhau‘s musical ensemble and it brings together people from different social strata, beliefs, and professions. That night in a remote village in Purulia the reverberating drum beats had drawn me to the Chhau masked dance performance and till today, it remains one of my most unforgettable travel memories.

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Purulia Chhau Dance Travel Tip

Purulia Chhau Dance is accompanied by Dhol, Dhamsa (drums) and Shehnai (Indian clarinet). Costumes play major roles since Purulia Chhau dance is known for its elaborate headgear and frills. Apart from the masks, dancers wear colourful long shirts with dhotis (Indian flared trousers) and vast amount of costume jewellery. The masks worn during Purulia Chhau performance are used to convey emotions and the nature of the character. The rest is depicted by extravagant and energetic body movements. Nowadays, Purulia Chhau masks are very popular as souvenirs and the village of Charida in Purulia is famous for this exquisite art work.

The story of the Purulia Chhau dance mask

Creating the masks require participation from all the household members and the process includes procuring the river clay (also known as antel maati), painting, drying and making the headgear that goes with the masks. Purulia Chhau dancers enroll into this art at an extremely young age and this number is diminishing every day. Though once much patronized by royal families and British governors, this over a century old dance form is dying a slow death. Lack of worthy recognition, financial support of the artists and growing daily expenses have weaned students away from Chhau and over the years, it has become more theatrical than a dance form. However, due to the popularity of the Purulia Chhau masks, many artists continue to live off this dance form and here‘s hoping that this will lead to the revival of this iconic masked dance of eastern India.

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My Purulia trip details

Purulia is a large district and there are many places to visit. I was a guest of Chowburu Tourism and explored places near Baghmundi. It is a homestay and travel consultant company which specializes in small treks to Ayodhya Hills, Dolma Hills, visits to the forests, Chhau mask artists‘s homes and tribal villages. They also organize day trips and Chhau mask dance performances. You can contact Chowburu‘s Sujit Chandra Kumar via email ([email protected]) or call +91-9732294515 to make a reservation.

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Visiting Charida Village: Purulia’s Chhau Mask-Makers

Charida, a small village in the Baghmundi block of Purulia, is where most Purulia Chhau masks are made. Walk down the main lane and almost every house doubles as a workshop: artisans layer paper and cloth over a clay mould, coat it with fine river clay, dry it in the sun and then paint and decorate it with beads, feathers, foil and tinsel. The Purulia Chhau mask has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, so buying directly in Charida supports the craftsmen behind it.

• What you can see: each stage of mask-making, from moulding and drying to painting and fixing the giant headgear.
• What to buy: small wall masks make easy souvenirs; full-size performance masks with headgear are large and fragile, so ask about packing.
• Tip: visit in daylight, ask before photographing inside homes, and buy from the artisans themselves rather than middlemen.
• Combine with: Ajodhya Hills, Marble Lake, Bamni and Turga falls, all within a short drive.

When and Where to Watch a Purulia Chhau Performance

Purulia Chhau is a village art, so most performances happen at local festivals rather than on a fixed stage schedule.

• Spring (around March–April): the Chaitra Parva and Gajan festivals are the traditional Chhau season, with troupes performing late into the night in village grounds.
• Winter (Nov–Feb): tourist-season festivals and cultural fairs around Ajodhya Hills, Baghmundi and Purulia town often include Chhau shows.
• On request: many homestays and resorts around Ajodhya Hills can arrange a local troupe for groups – book a few days ahead.
• In Kolkata: Chhau troupes also appear at cultural festivals and craft fairs, but nothing matches a village performance by firelight.

Dates change every year with the local calendar, so check with your homestay or the West Bengal tourism office before planning around a specific show.

How to Reach Purulia and Charida from Kolkata

• By train: overnight and day trains run from Howrah to Purulia Junction in roughly 6–7 hours. Barabhum station is another option for the Ajodhya Hills side.
• By road: Kolkata to Purulia is about 300 km (around 6–7 hours) via Bankura or Durgapur.
• To Charida: hire a car from Purulia town or your Ajodhya Hills stay; local transport is limited, so a hired vehicle is the easiest way to combine Charida with the hills and waterfalls.
• Best time to go: October to March for pleasant weather; spring for the festival season; monsoon for green landscapes but slippery roads.

FAQs

What is Purulia Chhau dance?
Purulia Chhau is a vigorous masked folk dance from Purulia district in West Bengal. Dancers wear large painted masks and headgear and act out stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas to the beat of dhol, dhamsa and shehnai.

Where are Purulia Chhau masks made?
Most masks are made in Charida village in the Baghmundi block of Purulia, near the Ajodhya Hills, where many families have been making masks for generations.

When is the best time to see Purulia Chhau?
The traditional season is spring, around the Chaitra Parva and Gajan festivals (roughly March–April). Performances also take place at village festivals and tourist events through winter.

How do I get to Charida from Kolkata?
Take a train from Howrah to Purulia (about 6–7 hours), then hire a car to Charida. Alternatively drive about 300 km from Kolkata to Purulia.

Is Purulia Chhau a UNESCO heritage dance?
Yes. Chhau dance, including the Purulia style, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.