Regional Styles and Schools of Chhow
What the exam tests
You must distinguish the three recognised schools by geography, mask use, movement quality and typical repertoire, and explain shared features without blurring them.
The three schools
- Mayurbhanj (Odisha): no masks. The face and eyes carry expression, so mukhabhinaya is central. Movement is strong and controlled, with clear chowk and bhangi. Typical themes include Shiva's tandava, Mahishasura-mardini and Kirata-Arjuna.
- Seraikella (Jharkhand): masks, smaller and finely modelled. Movement is lyrical and restrained, with more emphasis on graceful chali and sculptural bhangi. Royal patronage shaped its courtly polish.
- Purulia (West Bengal): masks, larger and boldly coloured. Movement is vigorous and acrobatic, with high leaps and strong group formations. It is performed at Chaitra Parva and sun festivals.
Shared features
All three use dhol, dhamsa and mahuri, draw on the epics and Puranas, and are tied to the Chaitra Parva season. They differ mainly in mask use and movement quality.
Worked example
'A Chhow item is performed at night in Purulia; the dancer wears a large, bright mask and performs high leaps.' Identify the style and give two reasons. Reasoning: location is Purulia; large bright mask and acrobatic leaps match Purulia. Seraikella also uses masks, but its masks are refined and its movement lyrical; Mayurbhanj is maskless. Answer: Purulia style.
Traps
- Saying Mayurbhanj uses masks.
- Swapping Seraikella and Purulia.
- Treating the schools as unrelated; they share festival calendar and instruments but differ in mask use and movement quality.