The Masked Body in Motion: A Performance Studies Perspective on Purulia Chhau

This paper explores the vibrant tradition of Purulia Chhau through the lens of performance studies, focusing on how the masked body becomes a dynamic site of cultural expression, embodiment, and transformation. Rooted in the tribal and martial heritage of West Bengal, Purulia Chhau blends vigorous movement, stylized gestures, and elaborate masks to narrate mythological and folkloric tales. By analyzing the interplay between the dancer’s physicality and the performative power of the mask, this study investigates how identity, ritual, and community memory are choreographed into motion. Drawing on theories of embodiment, performativity, and ritual performance, the paper examines how Chhau’s aesthetics challenge the binary between performer and character, body and mask, tradition and innovation. Furthermore, it highlights the socio-cultural significance of Chhau as a living performance tradition that continues to evolve while retaining its indigenous ethos. The study thus situates Purulia Chhau as a compelling example of how performance operates as a mode of knowing, being, and resisting cultural erasure in contemporary times.