Mail News Service
Saraikela, Jan 6: It has oft been said that there is bound to be darkness under the lamp and so it is insofar as the status of the age old tradition of Chhau dance form is concerned. Saraikela, like many other classical schools of classical music and dance, is a Gharana or particular performing style or Shaili that has been traditionally passed down through generations. It is not that Chhau is no longer loved, revered and admired form of dance expression but the lament in this case is that indigenous interest is wanting in spite of the best efforts of the authorities be. But there is always a better than the best and the efforts should point in that direction. Unfortunately, charity always does not begin at home. This is not a forced observation but is based on a bitter pointer.
Students from Wardha, Allahabad, Delhi and other universities and colleges have been pouring in to the Rajkiya Chhau Nritya Kala Academy in Saraikela out of sheer fascination and the resultant interests to learn mask making, music and dance under guidance of experts headed by the Academy’s Director Guru Tapan Kumar Pattanaik. One does not have to trudge far back to find the ascending concern of Chhau performers, Gurus, instructors and lovers of this art form as local interest somehow seemed to plummet. In 2018, a concerted move was made by these segments of people to initiate Chhau learning in the Kolhan university curriculum. It did not take long for the University to give its nod to the proposal for Chhau classes and the initiation came through introduction of the course at Chandil College and Kashi Sahu College in Saraikela. The land of origin and propagation of the Saraikela Gharana Chhau donned a simultaneous look of pride and relief — pride because at last the tradition had been recognized and relief because propagation of this exclusive art form would be assured. Thus adrenalin raced as Arjun Munda heralded Chhau classes at the Kashi Sahu College. Syllabus for Bachelor of Chhau was prepared and classes commenced but the confidence was like a fire on a single wicker and it died shortly. The reason was a lack of registration of students for this stream. So, the charity at home fizzled out.
Fortunately, the fascinating and sometimes rigorous but successful jouirney of Chhau Nritya Kala met with universal acclaim. Students from Mahatma Gandhi Antrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalay of Wardha in Maharashtra, Allahabad University’s Mass Communications stream and New Delhi’s Circle Theatre Company are undergoing intensive training in music, mask making, physical expressions under the watchful and expert guidance of Guru Tapan Kumar Pattanaik and other equally dedicated instructors. The six students who are under training at the Rajkiya Chhau Nritya kala Academy in Saraikela are Manish Tiwary, Sashank Shekhar, Avinash Kumar and Roshan Kumar from Wardha University, Sachin Mishra from New Delhi and Abhishek Kushwaha from Allahabad.
Guru Pattanaik stated that these students would complete their course in the first week of February and return to their respective institutions to keep the banner of Saraikela Chhau Gharana flying in their states and hopefully, in other parts of the country and abroad.
A new glimmer of hope has been noticed with the growing interest of the trainees. Guru Tapan Kumar Pattanaik expressed his and the tradition’s recharged hopes by observing, “The bad patch that Chhau had run into during the COVID period will be hopefully over and a new lease of the propagation run will commence with a pledge to keep this dance form alive and multiplying. We are on the drawing board planning extensive Chhau dance workshops at Chandil, Kharsawan, Saraikela, Gamharia and Rajnagar. We shall hold detailed discussion with the Kendra’s Secretary and SDO Saraikela and take his consent.”
