Chhau Dance

Chhau Dance is a dance which originated from West Bengal and Orissa India.It originated as a martial art and contains vigourous movements and leaps. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many of the princely rulers of the Orissa region took a keen interest in the development of this art. They maintained troupes that performed on special occasions and festivals. 


Its origin is attributed to Mayurbhanj, an erstwhile princly state of Orissa.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.