Drive Down To Purulia This Weekend For The Chhau Mask Festival

The festival celebrates the traditional craft of chhau mask making in the village of Charida in Purulia where most houses double as a studio with mask artists at work. They use paper pulp and clay as the base, jute fibers are used for facial hair and eyebrows, and these are then painted and decorated with feathers and beads, zari, glitters and foils.

Because you will be witnessing a centuries-old dance form which is said to have begun as a form of a martial art. In the Purulia chhau style, the dancers wear large stylised masks and the stories are based on mythological tales that portray the triumph of good over evil. This dance form was added to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

Also, you can pick up something dramatic for your home because the artists also make a variety of masks for home decor.

And there’s quite a lot else that you can do and see around there. Charida village is in the Chotanagpur plateau with a rocky and undulating landscape, red soil and deciduous forests that are rich in biodiversity. It is located at the scenic foothills of Ayodhya Hills, ideal for bikers and trekkers. You can also check out the ruins of 8th century temples at Deulghata on the banks of river Kansai. And then there is the 6th century Jain temples in Telkupi, Bandhar Deul and the Radha Binod temple.