Chhau Dance Performances

Witnessing a Chhau performance, particularly an outdoor performance under moonlight with drums and shehnai echoing across the hills, is an experience unlike almost anything else in Indian folk culture. The movements are powerful and acrobatic, drawing on martial arts traditions, and the masked dancers become entirely unrecognisable as humans beneath their elaborate costumes and vast masks. Visitors to Charida can sometimes arrange to see a Chhau Dance or Santali Dance performance in the village, typically for a small additional fee. Ask your homestay host or a local guide to make arrangements in advance.