Odisha’s Mayurbhanj Chhau is defying gender stereotypes

From being a traditional martial arts-based dance form patronised by the Mayurbhanj royal family, women have breathed new life into the semi-classical dance form

If you ever wander across the north Odisha countryside, you will find yourself surrounded by lush green fields amid a sea of terracotta-hued homes. The serenity of the tropical countryside comes alive at dusk with the resounding beats of the dhamsa and dhol, along with the piercing lyrical melodies of the shehnai and vamsi as you approach the district headquarters of Mayurbhanj Baripada.

Dancing to the percussion beats are 18-year-olds Prakashini Mishra and Ankita Priyadarshini. With kohl-lined eyes, hair knotted in a bun and wearing red dhoti-sarees with matching blouses, the girls, with their alta-covered palms and feet garlanded with ghungrus, are a sight to behold. Wielding a sword and shield, they resemble Chamunda Devi, the goddess of war, also known as the presiding deity of the former princely state of Mayurbhanj..

The girls are engaged in Mayurbhanj Chhau practice–a semi-classical dance form once dominated by men, which has slowly been gaining prominence among women. 

Modern muses

The  martial arts-inspired folk dance form, which was only patronised by men earlier due to the physical strength and endurance required to perform it, is now breaking gender stereotypes. In recent years, there has been a steady decline in willing male participants, thereby opening up avenues for girls to revive the dying dance form.. Most disciples of the dance hail from the rural areas in Mayurbhanj and are first-generation students of the dance that, for over 300 years, was patronised by the erstwhile royal family and was taught only to select families by ustaads and gurus.

Prakashini, between practices, speaks in Odia of her motivation to join the dance form. “My parents knew I was interested in dance from a young age, and Odisha folk and classical dance forms are very revered. Along with learning modern dance through videos on YouTube, they encouraged me to begin learning Mayurbhanj Chhau as they found out about a new dance academy called Project Chhauni that was recruiting youth from the town,” she shares. When quizzed on the impact it has had on her, she speaks with a look of determination, “Very few people I know, including my friends and family, have learned Mayurbhanj Chhau, but I would like to be an actor some day and I know it makes me stand out in the crowd to be a practitioner of this rare dance form. It is tough and needs the resilience of an athlete but the hard work you put into learning it does reap benefits”.

Her friend Ankita chimes in, saying, “The dance gave us the opportunity to travel and earn an income.” When asked about the challenges faced, her mother, sitting nearby, explains in a soft voice how for years, growing up, they had watched Mayurbhanj Chhau with no avenue to be able to learn it themselves. When she heard that female dancers were being given a chance to get trained, her eyes lit up. “The gods smiled on my destiny, and I was not going to let another generation lose the opportunity to dance Chhau; I accompany my daughter everyday to attend practice!”

The allure of travel, of earning a livelihood and learning something for years forbidden is a strong incentive, but so is the excitement of picking up a form of martial arts that has regal roots.

The origins

Mayurbhanj was an erstwhile princely state ruled by the Bhanja dynasty since 697 CE. The dynasty, known for its interest in promoting art, had a significant interest in developing the dance form known as Chhau. There are three recognised styles of Chhau: Seraikella (Jharkhand), Purulia (West Bengal) and Mayurbhanj (Odisha). Categorised as a semi-classical Indian dance with martial, tribal and folk traditions, its origins lie in eastern India. The one stark difference is that Mayurbhanj does not use the elaborate masks adorned by dances from Seraikella and Purulia.

Like most of India’s artistic traditions, Chhau suffers from a lack of documentation to ascertain its roots and, more importantly, to gauge how far the dance dates back to. Mayurbhanj Chhau is famous for its martial art exercises known as Parikhanda (‘pari’ meaning ‘shield’ and ‘khanda’ meaning ‘sword’), which prepare the body for the actual dance. The dance technique is based on ‘chaalis’ and ‘topkas’—stylised walks choreographed after a keen observation of nature, for instance, baagh chaali (tiger walk), mayoor chaali (peacock walk), khel (involving variations of swordplay) and ufli, (comprising 36 movements describing everyday activities). Patronage played a key role, too. However, post-Independence and after the abolition of privy purses, the art form required new patrons and, along the way, discovered new muses as well.

A global appeal

It is of interest to note the allure the dance has held for artists from across the globe. Holding a warrior pose in a half lunge, with kohl-lined eyes and a dhoti saree, Carolina Prada in Chhau regalia is a sight to behold. Her body, taut with rigorous training, still holds a graceful lithe elegance as she contorts herself during the multiple choreographies of the dance form. A disciple of Guru Janmejay Saibabu, Carolina is Colombian by birth but feels a deep responsibility to be a link between tradition and the contemporary world. In a similar vein, an American artist called an “envoy of Indian culture to the west,” Sharon Lowen has created an indelible mark on the global stage. Having artists who were also trained scholars meant the dance was better researched and documented from its days as a form of exercise for the standing armies of the eastern states. Italian-born Padma Shri Ileana Citaristi once called Chhau the “root form of dance of Odisha and the most vigorous of the three styles of Chhau”.

The tradition of scholars who both trained in the dance form and then were able to promote it via festivals, choreographies for films and academies, greatly benefited the dance that had begun to sing its swan song post Independence.

Contemporary relevance and a push for recognition

Mayurbhanj Chhau also drew the attention of contemporary indigenous dancers, such as Subhashree Mukherjee who began the non-profit organisation Project Chhauni to promote this dying art form. The organisation was launched in 2016 for the documentation and promotion of the dance style, which, she believes cannot be solely termed as a ‘folk dance’. 

Guru Paguju Jhee, a four-decade-old Chhau dancer, towards the end of practice, waits for his students to take blessings from the earth and bow to him in reverence before untying his turban and packing his prized instruments. “It is a great addition to have women learning the dance shoulder to shoulder with men. It is my honour to teach them and watch many bring great laurels to our home state,” he shares.

When asked about the future of the dance, he says, “We have to be open-minded about the growth of the dance and allow interested students, irrespective of class, creed and gender, to learn the dance, in addition to using technology to give it a global reach.” Perhaps even use social media, he smiles.

The raison d'être for the art form still holding a contemporary relevance is its ability to connect dancers to a largely undiscovered history steeped in  mythology and folklore. To be dancing the choreography written by kings and passed down through revered gurus, especially for a gender that has long been forbidden to practice it, has given it not just a new perspective but also ensured this would not just be a retelling of history but begins to finally ink down her story.

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