CULTURE OF ODISHA(DANCE)

Orissa unfolds a panorama of refined forms of arts, crafts, music and dance. Its music and dance h as been flourishing for ages and has lured many. The unique dance forms like Odissi and Chhau are world famous with several internationally exponents, while Odissi music is charming, colourful and encompass various streams. A number of folk tradions also lend a capitive presence.

By the 11th Century AD folk music or Orissa existing in the form of Triswari, Chatuhswari, and Panchaswari was modified into the classical style. Ancient cultures of Orissa have the most expressive forms of music & dance. These two highly evolved art forms have manifested themselves in some of the most evocative & celebrated performances from not only the professional classical exponents but also from the various folk & tribal groups in Orissa.

Danda Nata

Danda Nata of Orissa, also known as the 'Danda Jatra' , it happens to be one amongst the most ancient form of histrionic arts of the state. Associated with ritualistic services, Danda Nata forms an institution of dance, music and dramatics blended with religions, social reformation and an association of Universal Brotherhood.Mainly an worship of Lord Shiva, the God of destruction of the Hindu mythology, who is also the Lord of histrionic arts (Nata Raj), this theatrical form brings into its fold a harmonious feeling of co-existence between followers of different philosophical doctrines, between political principles and set of opinions.Along with votive dedications to Lord Shiva ( Rudra, Hara, Mahadeva, Shankar, Bholanath etc ) in a Danda Nata, the greatness of other Gods and Goddesses such as Vishnu, Krishna Ganesh, Durga, Kali etc. are also equally invoked.Similarly while the original participants in a Danda Nata were said to be only the low-caste Hindus people, however people belonging to all other higher castes such as Kshyatriyas and Brahmins also participate in this institution with equal interest.

Odissi Dance

The Odissi dance of Orissa is one of the six acknowledged classical dance forms of India. Like all other Indian classical dances, it also has its initiation in religion and philosophy with an origin in the temples of Orissa. The rhythm, Bhangis and Mudras used in Odissi dance have a distinct style of its own. The dance is performed mainly with the theme of Infinite love of Lord Krishna and Radha.

The allied art of this dance and music is more popularly known as the Panchama Veda that was cultivated with success from a very ancient period in Orissa. It was King Mahameghavahan Kharvela, a proficient master in the art of dance and music himself, who provided a strong footing for further development of this art through his royal patronage.

The Hathi Gumpha inscription states that in his third regal year King Kharvela entertained the people of capital city by organizing dance and musical performances. This noble tradition created by Kharvela came to be followed by the latter rulers of Orissa, and this art made further strides of progress under the patronage of the Bhaumakara and Somavansi monarchs.

However, the community which played the greatest role in popularizing this art--by giving it a news sprit, a new hope and horizon--was the community of the temple maidens or Devadasis. Devadasis or Maharis used to practice this dance form and used to perform it before the lord as a form of prayer or ritual. At first, only some Mantras accompanied their Nrutya. But after Jayadev composed the Geeta Govindam, thus incorporating abhinaya in dance form, the grace of this dance form got revived.

Odissi dance would have got diminished inside the temples but for Ray Ramananda--a dramtist and musician--who introduced it in another form. He taught Odissi to some boys and presented the dance form as Gotipua Nacha. He convinced Chaityna Dev that singing and dancing were also forms of prayer. Thus, Odissi dance form was enriched by the encouragement of various kings and a sweeping Vaishnava cult. Subsequently, Odissi was further refined and became a higher form of dance than Gotipua Nacha.

Odissi includes both Tandava and Lasya elements. It has Navatala system. But the element that distinguishes Odissi form other dance forms is the grace. In Odissi, the torso movement is considered very important which is soft, lyrical and graceful. The basic body position is chowka that is supposed to be a replica of Lord Jagnnath's body position.

The dance has a mention in Bharat Natya Shastra as 'Odramagadhi'--one of the ancient names of Orissa other than Kalinga and Utkal. The five departments of Odissi are Mangalacharan, Sthai or Batu, Pallavi, Abhinaya and Moksha. Odissi has its own style and music.

Similar to other classical dance forms, in Odissi too the Guru Shisya tradition is prevalent. It takes around five to seven years to get trained in this style. But, as Guru says, a whole life dedication also seems to be less to master the form completely.

Famous Odissi Dancers - Some of the renowned Odissi dancers are Guru Pankajcharan, Guru Kelucharna, Late Debprasad, late Sanjukta Panigrahi, Kumkum Mohanty, Indrani Rehema, Guru Nabakishore, Guru Gangadhar, Guru Ranbir, Guru Subrat Pattaniak and Illena.

Folk Dances of Orissa

Orissa has a major chunk of people living in the highland. The inhabitants of the hills have contributed immensely to the culture of Orissa. These people have their own festivals and their own forms of dances.

Of all the traditional of tribal and folk dances of Orissa, Chhau Dance is the most famous. The number of dances belonging to tribal is simply astonishing. Be it marriage, birth or harvesting, they have a special and unique dance for each occasion. Please scroll through the pages of this section to know more about the folk dances of Orissa

1. Naga Dance
2. Samprada dance
3. Paika Nrutya
4. Medha Nacha
5. Kela Keluni Nacha
6. Kathi Nacha
7. Karma Nacha
8. Kandhei Nacha
9. Jhoomar Dance
10. Ghoomra Dance
11. Ghoda Nacha
12. Ghanta Patua
13. Danda Patua
14. Dalkhai Dance
15. Changu dance
16. Chhau Dance
17. Animal Mask Dance
18. Chaiti Ghoda

Naga Dance

Naga dance form is a special dance form which has been practiced in Orissa since ancient days in the religious festivities. Having its root in Nagaland the dance form has evolved and prospered in Orissa, mostly in the Puri district. It involves energetic and stimulating dance performances exclusively by men.

The Naga Dance of Orissa is performed wearing heavily colored costumes, featuring bright stripes of mostly red and black. Huge headgears decorated with various items including silver ornaments feathers adorn the dancers. Also a false beard covers most of the face of the dancer. With the help of bamboo sticks the dancers perform the steps according to the rhythm which is specially provided by the drummers. All in all, a Naga dancer requires the following to perform a complete dance:

• A Sword
• A Kukri
• A shield made out of the skin of rhinoceros
• A gun
• A horn used as whistle
• An iron Shield
• Bow and Arrow
• Tiger skin
• Toilet box
• A bell

The whole body of the dancer is smeared with yellow powder and the forehead with red vermilion. The entire get up is done to create a ferocious look. Interestingly the dance is not accompanied by any song.

Samprada Dance

Samprada Dance of Orissa is otherwise known as Bahaka Dance. In this dance form, singing and dancing takes place at the same time with the accompaniments of musical instruments like Mridanga and Kartal. What’s unique about the Samprada dance is that, it is the same person who is dancing that sings and also plays the musical instrument. It is an art form that one needs to practice over decades before mastering. His feet move in perfect rhythm with the beat of the music and the words of the songs. Generally he takes recourse to religious slokas and songs like Bhajan, Janana, Sanskrit slokas etc. Another performer assists him in his performance who is known as Palia. Samprada Dance is performed only during special festive occasions of Orissa.

Paika Nrutya

The Paika Nrutya of Orissa is a form of battle dance. The dance form practiced among the Paikas, the main warrior class of the old Oriya army showcases fiery battle spirit of the army. Interestingly the word owes its origin to the Sanskrit word Padatika meaning “the infantry”.

This folk dance of Orissa in many Paika villages of Khurda and Puri. People gather at a common pulpit after a hard day's work. The Paika Akhada is a place where they practice physical exercises along with other activities like fighting with sword and shields. They dance a fiery battle dance while the drums play on. It is more like a clarion call urging the dancers to get ready for a fiery battle ahead. The vigor and physical excitement of the dancers are worthy of notice. Paika Nrutya is practiced with great enthusiasm by different groups in the villages of Orissa during Dussera.

Medha Nacha

Medha Nacha is a form of folk dance of orissa that uses masks and is quite popular in the coastal districts of Orissa. It is generally performed during the Dussehra, Holi, Kali Puja, Ram Navami and Sahi Yatra. In each of these cases, the idols are taken out into the streets in procession for either the congregation or the immersion. The processions halt at different places, like the markets, crossroads, etc to perform certain special skills.

The Medha dancers perform wearing oversized masks of devils, kings and queens. The masks are basically made out of paper pulp and painted in bright colors. The instruments accompanying this form of dance performance are Chhangu and Dhol. The entire performance in its totality with the bright colors of the masks, the rhythm of the instruments and the dances to the tunes create an amazing atmosphere of thrill and enjoyment.

Kela Keluni Dance

The Kelas are a class of wandering tribe in Orissa who roam about the countryside to earn livelihood by catching snakes and birds. They practice a form of dance that involve tight-rope walking and other varieties of gymnastics.This folk dance of orissa is called as theKela Keluni dance.

In the dance only two persons take part, a Kela(male) and Keluni (the female) . The Kela plays a string instrument Ghuduki which produces a peculiar sound. He works out rhythms by playing his fingers in strokes on a string. He dances with the Keluni and also sings. The dance of the Keluni is fast with swaying movements of legs, hips and the head. There are also exalted actions in half-sitting position. Generally it is she who carries the show. The songs are of a special variety and are popularly known as Kela-Keluni Geeta in which love and humor dominates the sequences. This dance is fast dying but it is being adopted by professional Jatra troupes and other groups of entertainers.

Kathi Nacha

Kathi Nacha of Orissa is practiced by the cowherd community of the coastal districts. Although this form of dance is practiced all over the country, what marks the stick dances of Orissa apart from those of other regions is the size of the stick. In Orissa based on the size if the sticks on which the dance is performed, there are two forms of the dance which are prevalent. Dance on the long sticks and the other with short sticks are accordingly performed in different occasions. Kathi Nach on long sticks is performed by the cowherd community of coastal Orissa. Dusserah, Giri Gobardhan Puja and Dol Yatra (Holi) are the important festivals on the occasion of which the dance is performed by the young boys. They weave out different geometrical patterns with simultaneous tapping of sticks and singing of traditional songs relating to the sports of Lord Krishna.

The other type with smaller sticks is performed by the people of the scheduled class of Mayurbhanj and Bolangir. In this, the sticks are about two feet in length and are made of resonant wood to produce percussion. The sticks are held on pairs. The dancers in this folk dance of Orissa are all young boys who stand in a line. The dance begins as the boys begin striking each other sticks to the rhythm of the madal. Two or more singers and drummers move with the dancers. Following the rhythm of the madal, they increase the speed of various movements until the dance ends in a crescendo of sound produced by the sharp taps of the sticks. Makar Sankranti and Nua Khai festivals are the occasions for this dance. In the district of Bolangir, this is known as Kalanga when the dancers wear costumes like the Karma dancers of the Binjhala .

Karma Dance

The Karma dance of Odisha is basically a tribal dance form of the Binjahal,Kharia,Oraon,Kisan and Kol tribal that is undertaken annually on the karma festival although the same is performed in different social occasions as well. Karma the famous autumnal festival, which starts from the 11th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Bhadrab, and continues for some days till the month of Aswin is a major occasion to celebrate of the tribal. The Karma tree representing Karma—the God of Fate, is worshipped on this occasion. A branch of the tree is cut down with due ceremony, planted in the middle of the altar with a cloth wrapped round it. The devotees drink wine, and burn it in then lamps. Then duly dressed, they dance round and round the canopy and plantain trees planted for decorative purposes.

The Karma dancers have their professional party. When a son is born to the childless parents with the grace of Karma God, they invite the party of dancers. The songs are like those of patua and Dandanata and deal with Puranic events or events of the folk tale. Love songs are in form of questions and answers between a party of young men and young ladies. Ladies and young men dance delightfully in a circle holding each other’s arms round the branch. A group of men with drums stands in the center while a line of women is formed in front of them. The women move to and fro and circle round the men. The Karma dance continues from dusk to dawn. Dance groups drawn from nearby villages dance alternatively throughout the night. In the early morning they carry the Karam branches singing and dancing and then immerse them ceremonially in a river or tank and then disperse. Sometimes women begin the song and men have to pick up the tune and words and answer them. It is an amusing sight to see a few expert women dancers confounding a group of men. Sometimes men also take the initiative.

The technique of the Karma dance of Orissa varies a little from tribe to tribe. The Kharias, Kisans and Oraons dance in a circular pattern, where men and women dance together. It is always headed by a leader and generally the men at the head of the line. Only the best of dancers join in right next to or near him. Very young girls and children join in at the tail to learn the steps. When the dancing grows fast the dancers of the tail drop out to let the seasoned dancers show their skill. The dancers hold hands in different patterns in sync with different styles. Sometimes they simply hold hands and sometimes hands are placed on the waist of the co-dancer or are crossed. It is the legs and the feet which play the pivotal role in the dance. The dance begins lightly with simple steps forward and backward, left and right, then gradually the steps grows smaller and faster, growing more and more complicated, until that dance reaches its peak. Then it goes gradually to the first steps as the music leads to give dancers rest. The dancers have no special costume for the occasion. They dance with their usual attires which they wear daily. The dance is usually held in the courtyard of the village. In the center of the courtyard a bamboo is fixed and it is split into four up to a certain height and then bent to form the arches. Each split is fixed with a pole on the outer side to form the arch. Then it is decorated with festoons of mango leaves and water lilies giving it a festive look. The ground is neatly plastered with cow-dung. Men and women dance winding in and out beneath the arches.

There are many varieties of Karma songs viz. Karma of the hills, Karma of the forest, Baiga Karma and so on. The Gond tribal believe that once caught by a Lahaki Karma (is sung very rapidly) men are lost to the world. They leave their wives and children and go away. Karma dance or song is very popular in the tribal population of Odisha residing in Sambalpur,Keonjhar and Phulbani.

Kandhei Nacha

Puppet Dance of Orissa is known commonly as the Kandhei Nata or Sakhi Nata in Orissa. The Kandhei Nata is an assimilation of dance, drama and songs. Mostly stories having mythological significance are selected. Although a very old form of art in Orissa , not much is known about its origin.

The dolls are painted bright and dressed meticulously representing the various characters that they will be made to enact. Another specialized form of Puppet Dance form is the Shadow plays. These are categorized into hand puppets, string puppets and rod puppets. More specifically they are known as (Kundhei-nacha) which is shadow puppetry, Kathi Kandhei which is Rod puppetry and Gopalila kandhei which is string puppetry.Some of the places in Orissa where Puppet Dance is prevalent are Tarikund in Cuttack, Odasa, Keonjhar, Ganjam etc. With the accompaniments of songs, dialogues and Dholaks, Puppet shows are a major success in Orissa and elsewhere.

Jhoomar Dance

The Jhoomar dance is a folk dance of Orissa that is highly popular among the tribal residing in the Sundargarh district. This dance type named after the accompanying Jhoomar songs is prevalent among the Mahanta and Munda communities of the Sundargarh district. Among the Mahantas the dance is performed by the men only. Among the Mundas the singers who accompany the dancers sing songs and the dancers follow them in chorus in accompaniment of maadal. The Mundas are especially experts in Jhoomar dance having established expertise in the intricate footsteps, movement of hip and wrists and that of the body in general. One of the important tribal dances, the Jhoomar dance is highly popular in Odisha.

Ghoomra Dance

The Ghoomra Dance form is actually named after a kind of drum, the Ghumar that is played with it. The drum which looks like a barrel made of clay and the mouth is covered with the skin of a reptile (Godhi), produces a deep musical sound. This dance starts fifteen days before the Gamha Purnima, full moon in September. The dancers tie the drums with strings around their neck and dance to its tune while simultaneously playing it.

The Ghoomra Dance takes off with light circular movements. Nisan is another kind of drum, smaller in size and played with two leather sticks. The main dancer performs at the center and the others move in concentric circles to form a straight line. The Ghoomra is performed in any religious ceremony or on the occasion of one’s marriage or any other social functions.

At times, a competition is held between two parties. Each party consists of twenty to twenty-five men and the dance goes on the whole night. Ghoomra is prevalent among the 'Sahara' and other Aborigines and Harijans and songs have love as their main theme. The other forms of folk dance like 'Humo', 'Bauli', 'Jhulki', 'Jamudali', 'Mayalajar', 'Gunjikata', 'Rasarkeli' and 'Puchi' are prevalent among the Oriyas and aborigines of Odisha.

Ghoda Nacha: Dummy Horse Dance of Orissa

Chaitighoda Nacha (Horse dance in the month of Chitra) is a folk dance of Orissaconnected with the Sakti cult of coastal regions and confined to the people of Kaibarta(fishermen) community only. This festival is observed for eight days by the Kaibartas in the month of Chaitra from the full moon day of Vaisakha in honor of their caste deity Vasuli Devi which is a goddess possessing the head of horse.

A well-decorated horse head is attached to the trunk built of bamboos. A man enters through the hole kept for the purpose behind its neck. He holds the reins of the horse and dances. The horse moves forward and backward along with the man. He dances to the tune of Dhola and Mahuri accompanied by the songs composed by the local poets. The dancing party consists of two dancers, one male and one female (a male in female attire), a drummer and a piper. The Kaibarta song of Achutananda Das, (one of the poets of Pancha Sakha group flourished in the 16th century) is believed to be only religious text of theKaibartas.

The Goddess Vasuli who is also the ruling deity of the Kaibarta community, is held in high esteem .Here it may be mentioned that the shrines of Goddess Vasuli are spread across Orissa, but is considered to be the oldest in Puri where the King of Puri has set out land for regular worship of the deity. Vasuli Devi in many places is taken to be one of the manifestations of the Durga and one of sixty-four Yoginis. The horse dance is very popular and attracts a large audience. The performing group consists of three main characters- Rauta, Rautani and the horse dancer, besides the drummer and the piper. The songs rendered in the shows consist of the mythological episodes. Rautani is Rauta's co-dancer and co-singer.

Ghanta Patua

For the whole month of Chaitra the village streets in Orissareverberate with the sound of Ghanta (brass gong) played by Ghanta Patuas in accompaniment to their peculiar dance on the stilts which is very similar to the Karaga dance of Mysore.

In Orissa, it is closely associated with the worship of Mother Goddess who has various names as Sarala, Hingula, Charchika, Bhagavati, Chandi etc. Ghanta Patuas are the non-Brahmin servitors of the deities. With the blessings of the respective deities attached to the shrines, they set out in groups of two to four dancers. One of them dresses himself as a female with a black color bandana tied on the head like a round cap while the flowing two ends held by him in both the hands separately. He places the Ghata (sacred pitcher) on his head which is beautifully decorated with flowers, vermilion, sandal paste and colored threads. With the Ghata on the head, he displays a variety of Yogic postures. Then he dances a while on a single rope drawn parallel to the ground. Without any support for the hands the dancer displays rare skills of body movements. Dhol and Ghanta are the accompanying instruments and their players, while working out uncanny rhythms control the tempo of the dance. After the performance, the dancers offer holy vermilion paste to the villager and collect money and grains. They move from village to village to showcase their dance skills and get paid in cash or kind for the whole month. They return to their respective shrines for their annual celebration on the first day of the Hindu New Year, Visuva Sankranti. Such celebrations are marked by small fairs and ornate rituals connected with the worship of Goddesses together with performances of dance and music.

Danda Nata

Danda Nata of Orissa, also known as the 'Danda Jatra’ is one of the most ancient folk dance of orissa and is performed in the district of Ganjam. The jatra is performed for a period of 13- 21 days. The participants of Danda Nata are usually called "Dandua" and the chief as "Pata Dandua" who move from village to village to perform the same. It is dedicated to Lord Siva and Goddess Kali, who is represented by a Danda or a Pole, decorated with `different colored clothes. The participant perform Pani Danda , Agni Danda, Dhuli Danda etc, which are the main attractions of the said performance. The closing ceremony is known as "Meruyatra", which is observed on the day of Maha Vishuba Sankranti of Chaitra.The festival is famous highly popular in Orissa.

Danda means a pole, nata means dance. The Danda Nata practiced basically to appease the Lord Shiva involves dance, song and physical feats as a means to please Him. There is no caste distinction in Danda Nata. Whoever desires may join it without any fear of excommunication from the orthodox society. The performers are all called ‘Bhoktas’. There are 13 Bhoktas in a Danda Party. The leader is called “Pata-Bhokta.” He leads an ascetic life for 21 days, avoids all contact with woman or anything worldly. He takes very light food probably for making his body fit for severe exercises. The Bhoktas move from village to village. To sweep the varandah with cowdung-water at once at the sight of the party signifies its invitation for performance. The householder who invites them is either childless or poor or suffering from some incurable disease. The performers bear all troubles to draw the kind attention of Siva towards the devotee. They roll on the hot sand in midday sun of the summer, dance and sing without any sign of suffering in their faces. Then they take their bath, and pray to God for fulfilling the devotee’s wishes.

Many difficult physical feats are done to draw His kind attention upon the mortal. They do not care for the bodily trouble. What concerns them most is to appease the God who may redress their sufferings. Some pierce sharp iron nails on their back, look upside down without any sign of pain in the face. Some devotees use poisonous snakes as garland; make them sting their body without any disastrous results. Others tie their legs up, and hang upside down making their heads roll on the burning fire. Fire walking, walking on the sharp sword and other difficult practices performed in the month of Chaitra and Baisak are all meant to please Siva. It is believed that Fasting in the month of Chaitra and Baisak and worshipping Siva with all devotion bring into the worshipper wealth, children and glory to the race.

Dalkhai Dance

Dalkhai is the most popular folk dance of Orissa, is higly popular in the western parts of the state. It is performed on numerous occasions like Bhaijiuntia, Phagun Punei, Nuakhai etc.Dalkhai is mostly performed by young women of Binjhal, Kuda, Mirdha and Sama tribes of Sambalpur, Bolangir, Sundargarh and Dhenkanal districts of Orissa in which men join them as drummers and musicians. The dance is accompanied by a rich orchestra of folk music played by a number of instruments known as Dhol, Nisan (a typically giant sized drum made of iron case), Tamki (a tiny one sided drum 6 inch in diameter played by two sticks), Tasa (a one sided drum) and Mahuri. However, the Dhol player controls the tempo while dancing in front of the girls.

The Dalkhai dance is thus called owing to the use of the word “Dalkhai” in the beginning and end of every stanza. The word is used as an address to a girl friend. The love story of Radha and Krishna, the episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, the descriptions of natural scenery are depicted through the songs. The young women dance and sing intermittently. While dancing to the uncanny rhythms of the Dhol, they place the legs close together and bend the knees. In another movement they move forward and backward in a half-sitting position. Sometimes they make concentric circles clock-wise and anti-clock-wise. The women generally dress themselves with the colorful Sambalpuri Sari and wear a scarf on the shoulders holding the ends below in both the hands. Bedecked with traditional ornaments and flowers their robust frames sustain the strains of the dance for long hours. The Dalkhai dance of Orissa has several adjunctive forms known as Mayalajada, Rasarkeli, Gunji kuta, Jamudali, Banki, Jhulki, Sainladi etc. It’s basically a secular form of performing folk art.

Changu Nata

The Changu Nata a is a folk dance of Orissa that is very popular among the tribal populace of the state. Changu is a rural variety of the tambourine. It is played by the male-members of the Bhuiyan, Bathudi, Kharia, Juang, Mechi and Kondha communities of Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Kandhamal districts of Orissa. The dance in accompaniment to the Changu is performed by women alone. The men only sing songs, play the Changu and move with the female dancers with simple steps. While the women advance, men recede back and upon the advance of the males, the females take retreat. In between, the male dancers perform vigorous stunts in which they leap into the air and make wide circling movements. Peculiarly the women cover themselves with long local made Saris. Only their hands full of bangles and feet remain visible. In a group, the female dancers dance in a half-sitting position with swaying and sometimes jerky movements. During festivals and on any moon-lit night the young boys and girls assemble and dance to express their joy.

The attire used in this dance form is Sari. Women drape their entire body with Sarees keeping only the hands and feet open. The Changu dance of Orissa is performed on the beats of the drums which impart a magnetic effect to the entire atmosphere. The dance form tells of the joy of living of these simple folks and the rural life on the whole. It is generally performed in a group where all the performers maintain perfect poise and rhythm. The tribes of the Sundergarh district mainly perform this dance form. Changu dance is slowly geting popular in other parts of Orissa too.

Chhau Dance

Chhau Dance (or Chau dance) is a genre of tribal martial dance that is popular in the Indian states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa. The dance form originated in the erstwhile princely state of Mayurbhanj as mock fights of the Oriya Paikas (warriors) who fought rhythmically to the accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments. Today, there are three subgenres of the dance, based on its places of origin and development. Seraikella Chau was developed in Seraikela, the present day administrative headquarters of the Seraikela Kharsawan district of Jharkhand, Purulia Chau was developed in Purulia district of West Bengal and Mayurbhanj Chhau was developed in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa. The most prominent difference among the three subgenres is in the use of mask. While, the Seraikela and Purulia subgenres of Chhau use masks, the Mayurbhanj Chhau uses none.

The Dance

The highly Stylised Chhau dance of today follow the basic principle of the Natya Shastra of Bharat Muni and the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeswara. The Chhau dancers worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the two presiding deities of the Tandava and the Lasya styles respectively. The typical dance poses when the dancer is at rest in Chahau dance is the bent knee position. In this position, the legs form a Square, right hands raised upwards forms right angle at elbow and the left hand falls downward also forming right angles at the elbow. The Chhau dancershave to practice difficult modes of walk-in, striking difficult postures and moving in a way peculiar to this style. In its past form, the dance was practiced only by male members who performed in female roles. Today there are also female dancers who have mastered this art. Emotions and passions are not depicted by facial expression but also by intricate footwork, whirls and jumps. Hence, the waist, the feet and the legs are used to depict bhavas. The basic postures and stance of this dance resemble the postures of a combatant in a traditional fight. In its rudimentary form it is generally referred to as Phari Khanda Khela (the game of sword and shield) or Rookmar Nacha ( the dance of offence and defense). The themes of Chhau are largely drawn from the Puranas, Ramayan and Mahabharat. They combine elements of tremendous kinetic fury and very fast footwork with mellowed elegance and lyricism which at times is indistinguishable from visual poetry. Episodes like the fight of 'Abhimanyu' with the 'Sapta Rathis', the killing of 'Mahishasura', 'Shiva Tandav', 'Kirat Arjuna', 'Jambeb', 'Garuda Bahana', etc. are very popular.

The dance is usually performed in the open air on a raised platform, the musicians stand, on one side of the platform and play on big kettle drums and other musical instruments. In villages, Chhau dance is usually performed during Chaitra parva festival in the days concluding the month of Chaitra. Popular story from the Ramavyna and Mahabharata are staged. The costumes, the headgear and other ornamental requisites are carefully selected. The dance can be solo, duet or group performances. Today, the subject matter of Chhau dance is borrowed from the whole gamut of animate and inanimate nature. The female peacock, swan and deer dances depict the wild beauty and grace of the form and are excellently choreographed. The hilly region of north –eastern Orissa with a rich folk and tribal culture has influenced Chhau dance.

Animal Mask Dance

The Animal Mask Dance is a peculiar folk dance of Orissa, that involves dancers wearing masks of animals. Mostly prevalent in the village of southern Orissa, especially in Ganjam district, this form of dance is performed while the idols are taken out into the lanes, during the Thankurani Yatra. Also, the dancers perform in marriage processions. Two people fit themselves into a cane frame and camouflage as the respective animals. The legs of the men resemble the legs of the animals. The Animal Mask Dance - Chaiti Ghoda Dance, common among the Kaibarta caste, is performed to appease the caste-deity - Vasuli Devi.

Baseli Puja or Chaiti Ghoda

In the month of Chaitra there is an exclusive festival for the bona fide fishermen community of Orissa who are popularly known as Keuta (Kaivarta). This festival, known as Chaiti Ghoda,is held for a full month beginning from Chaitra Purnami (Full-moon of Chaitra in March) and ending with Baisakh Purnami (Full moon in April). During this festival Baseli, the horse-headed deity of the community is propitiated. She is considered to be the tutelar deity of the community. She may be considered as a form of Mother Goddess who was earlier formless. Latter she took various forms according to the conception and needs of the various communities living all over the country. Worship of a Dummy horse headed god made of wood is inexplicably related to the Chaiti Ghoda festival. The horse headed deity or Baseli is seated on an earthen platform. She wears a blood-red cloth in her full feminine form. In temples and places of worship, She is propitiated on each Saturdays and Tuesdays through out the year. During the festival period where there are no such images; only the horse head made out of wood is worshipped. Peculiarly the worshipping takes place in a particular place of the house and that is Dhinkisala (the place where paddy is husked). It is because, the subsidiary profession of the community is to prepare and sell flattened rice. (chuda).

Inexplicably connected with the festival of Orissa is dummy-horse dance of the community. On the auspicious day of Chaitra Purnami, the Kaivartas worship a Bamboo with vermillion, sandal-paste, butter-lamp etc. Then the bamboo is split ceremonially into pieces out of which only twelve are taken out for preparation of the frame of the dummy-horse. The frame is dyed red with red clay and then covered with a Pata (indigenous silk cloth). Then a painted horse-head made out of wood is fixed to the frame. A garland of Mandara (Hibiscus) flowers is placed on the neck during worship. This particular garland is always intended for mother goddess. Thus the dummy-horse is worshipped till the eighth day of the dark fort-night after which it is taken out for dance. A man enters the cavity and hangs the frame on the shoulders and then dances to the rhythm of Dhol (country drum) Mahuri is the only wind-instrument played during the dance. Songs are sung intermittently in votive dedication to the deity. Sometimes the dancer gets possessed and falls in to trance. Then somebody else replaces him. Two other characters Chadhua-Chadhuani or Rauta-Rautani also sing and dance. The male character dances with a long staff in his hand symbolizing the profession of fishermen's rowing of boats. The female character is played by a man. Both of them sing songs of love and daily household cares. Then a song combat ensues which lasts for the whole night. During this portion of the dance the dummy horse is ceremonially placed in the centre and the performance is held in front of it with people sitting all around.

Now a-days the votive dancers are not confined only to the Kaibarta community. Since the dummy-horse dance is attached to many Shakti shrines of Orissa also, people of other communities have also taken interest to join the votive dancers. The dummy-horse dance is mainly prevalent in the coastal districts of Cuttack and Puri. In Puri the dummy-horse are profusely decorated with flowers and the 'Tahia' (Archaic head-gear of flowers) presents a magnificent show during dance. When the festival ends the horse-head is taken out ceremonially from the frame and is preserved in a temple. Next year during the festival it is again brought out and repainted for worship and use during the dance.