Paper mache seems like an unlikely weapon against COVID-19. Till you realise that in Seraikela, Jharkhand, chhau artisans are spiritedly pushing back against the virus using their skills to create fierce, but joyful, masks.
In April every year, for more than a century, this community has celebrated Spring with chhau, a masked ritual dance drama. This year, in response to the pandemic and resulting lockdown, the artisans are instead finding inventive ways to create personal protective equipment (PPE).
Since there is a current shortage of surgical and N95 masks for frontline workers, all over the world people are designing makeshift masks, repurposing everything from bandanas to Halloween costumes. In this anxious frenzy, the chhau artisans’ work is an encouraging example of how even PPE can be practical, but also celebratory.
Amitava Ghosh, the Jamshedpur-based vice president and founder secretary of Kalamandir, which works with artisans facilitating local resource mobilisation and capacity building, has been closely working with the mask makers of Jharkhand. Now, along with Gurgaon-based Leenika Jacob of the Kala Chaupal Trust, Prabhat Kumar Mahatao (who Amitava refers to as the ‘chhau guru’), and the artisans of Seraikela, they have created a prototype of chhau PPE. In this the mask is made the traditional way, layering paper mache, cloth and clay, with an additional three ply fabric used inside to cover the nostrils.
Amitava’s days are a whirlwind of activity, despite the lockdown, as they race against time to put the project together, communicating solely through often-patchy phone calls.
“The artisans are in a hilly area, so Prabhat takes his phone up when we need to talk. This is the high season for them, from April to September,” he says, adding, “So many are dependent on chhau: dancers, musicians, mask makers, costume makers and face painters. As we were discussing this COVID-19 crisis, the mask makers said, ‘We have no money saved. We have nothing in our hands. What do we do?’”
If this works, it could provide an income for not just the Seraikela community, but potentially open up avenues for artisans around the world.
“Instead of some commercial organisation mass-producing masks, it is better to support incubation of design for good,” says Leenika, managing trustee at The Kala Chaupal Trust, which focusses on arts, culture and environmental sustainability. She discusses how they are currently mentoring the incubation of cultural masks with multiple artisan organisations, starting with Kalamandir and Seraikela.
“There are 450 families depending on chhau in Jharkhand. We need to think of how they will survive long term,” says Leenika. She adds that though this is the first set of prototypes, completed just a few days ago, they are promising and have already generated a lot of interest.
- There are three versions of chhau. Purulia chhau in West Bengal, Mayurbhanj chhau in Odisha and Seraikela chhau in Jharkhand.
- The artform features epics and regional legends, using martial art and acrobatic moves.
- Mask making began in Charida, West Bengal, about 150 years ago, and these colourful masks depicting faces of boldly painted gods, heroes, birds and animals are still popular today.
- Mask makers come from two areas: Charida and Seraikela, as Odisha’s chhau does not use masks.
“They are not absorbent, so you can just wipe them down, which makes disinfection easier,” she says. And while they may seem rather flamboyant in present circumstances, who knows what the future looks like? If masks become a regular feature in wardrobes, then these stylised alternatives will find takers.
“I’m envisioning mask parties!” says Leenika, adding, “There is so much you can do with traditional crafts. We are thinking of masks with silk, so weavers find more work. The point is to start ideating out of the box for artisan support.”
The energy the idea has generated is encouraging, with Prabhat still regularly hiking up the hilly parts of Seraikela with his phone, so Amitava and Leenika can conference with the artisans, despite the current lockdown.
“I have asked them to do a COVID-19 war dance this time,” says Leenika, referring to the fact that chhau traditionally depicts the triumph of good over evil. She adds, “This is our fight against the virus. It’s the chhau mask in a war dance. This is how we are waging our war.”
Contact Kalamandir for more details on 8298229229 and 0657 2320109, or email biponishgjsr@gmail.com.
