BARIPADA: In a bid to revive the glory of martial dance form Chhau and promote it internationally, the district administration on Thursday launched project ‘Chhauni’. The project also aims at providing livelihood support to the Chhau artistes and musicians.
Although it is a classical dance, some factors are responsible for its lack of publicity at national and international level. Absence of socio-economic support discourages the artistes and musicians from adopting the profession.
Launching the project, Collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil said the objective of the project is to revive the glory of Mayurbhanj Chhau. “Chhauni is going to be a data-based project for the artistes, musicians and Gurus (trainers). In the first page, the profiles containing financial status, skills, experience and family details of the artistes in all 26 blocks of the district will be prepared,” he said.
Efforts also have been made to make a database on the existing Chhau troupes in both urban and rural areas, condition of training centres, availability of green rooms and stages besides other social and cultural organisations of the district in a systematic way.
Though there are a number of dancers performing Chhau dance these days, due to less number of musicians, the artisans either fail to attend all invitations or stage good performances. It is a major challenge to create a good musician.
Under this project, several initiatives would be taken to promote the dance form and provide livelihood support to the artisans besides the infrastructural development of training centres. A museum will be built to preserve several articles like dresses, ornaments, musical instruments and literature on the dance form.
The district administration has also planned to train the artisans and organise workshops for their skill development. Plans are afoot to issue identity cards to both, the dancers and their Gurus, to include them in various welfare schemes of the Government and provide all entitlements to the artisans who fall under BPL category.
“Our main objective is to protect the interest of the artisans and promote Chhau dance form at both national and international levels. This form should be treated on a par with other classical dance forms,” the Collector added.
Chhau dance researcher and project coordinator Subhashree Banerjee said the project aims at creating a separate identity of the Chhau artisans in the society besides offering secured livelihood benefits.
Among others, Additional District Magistrate M Suratha Chandra Malik and District Culture Officer Tanuja Sirka were present.
In the pipeline
Project aims at providing livelihood support to the Chhau artistes and musicians
Profiles of artisans of the district with financial status, skills, experience and family details will be prepared
Efforts would be made to promote Chhau and provide livelihood support to the artisans
A museum will be built to preserve several articles and literature on the dance form