Mukhosh or Masks in Bengal always have had a certain mysticism around them. Unique and very peculiar from each other, these Mukhosh draw us towards a mysterious history that is too uneven to be chronicled. Although oral tradition has it that in ancient times, it was the witches who primarily started the practice of wearing masks in order to camouflage themselves, they took heed of these sublime weapons, which were considered a facial veil that safeguarded and prevented them from being exposed. What we do understand from ancient records is that the masks were an amalgamation of colorful, ornate faces which were made from wood or paper. Interestingly, they were conjured as a trap to attract innocent people, who were then sacrificed for the sole intention that refers us to the immortality of the witches.
Significantly, if we look at it, there are various such theories that delineate the origin of masks or mukhosh in West Bengal, one of which states that ‘wearing of masks poignantly started when great migration took place in Bengal during the pre-historic time.’ Another aspect evidences us with the theory that the origin of masks is closely interlinked with religious strata and how crucial of a role it plays in cementing the belief and strengthening the mystical in spells that were practiced in cultural events.
Scholars have further quoted, that it was the tribal priests who would wear these masks and would also exhibit various magical skills in a particular territory or forte.
Thus, in essence, we can identify that how in Bengal ‘Mukhosh’ was a popular part and parcel of the Bengali culture and it was vehemently used during various dance performances and forms so as to appease the almighty deity or Demi-God those they believed would maintain peace and stability in the arena of societal contrast
A Look at the Eccentric Culture
In essence, the Gambhira or Gamira mask dance is intricately associated with the Rajbanshi community living in the Northern Region of West Bengal. Some of the districts where this dance form is much more prominent are Maldah, Purnia, and Rangpur. It has been further noted that throughout the entire district of Malda, this worship-cum-festival is celebrated and in fact, it is considered one of the national festivals of the said region. According to late research scholar Haridas Palit, this dance form was once dedicated to lord Shiva, and hence to all intents and purposes this cultural art formation has gained currency as the traditional worship of Shiva where quintessentially the tribe personnel performs by wearing skulls, additionally it has also gained upliftment because it creates a rather primitive interlink associated with the religious rites which are all dedicated to the divine Lord. Even with the change of time, society can still feel the impact of the magic feats and tantric performances that are intricately noticeable in this dance type.
The Soul of Folk
Belonging to the roots of Kochh-Rajbansis, this masked dance, other than falling under the category of religious festivals, is also regarded as one of the ‘Initial and First Divisions of Folk Dance.’ Not only has it adopted its custom and style from the Hill Tribes of Bengal, but it has also assumed a particular reference from the magic dance performed in the land of Tibet as well.
Exploring the Dance’s Divine and Dynamics
While analyzing the dedicatory sentiment of this dance form we also gather that the masks used in this traditional rite were stringently used for depicting various epic characters of animals such as the dear, the tiger and as well as several gods and goddesses for the sole purview to act out mythological stories which has always been the prominent theme of this dance. The main idea behind Gambhira dances is to usher good forces and drive out the evil forces, which has always been an Hinduized ideology.
Other than that, this event is usually organized within the months of Baisakh-Jyestha-Asarh, that place correspondence with the months of Mid-April or Mid-July. Advertently, there are no fixed dates for organizing these dances, and every village has its own schedule, prioritizing which, they hold the said tasks.
One such occasion for arranging the Gambhira dance is during the pujo (worship) of Amat Kali, which elementally is dedicated for the harvesting of mangoes, i.e., during the month of Jyeshtha. In fact, even for Samsan Kali, sometimes these dance displays are conducted.
Who are these deities?
In the mythical sense, Amat and Samsan Kali (as the name suggests) are the counterparts, or we could say the many reverent versions of Goddess Kali; closely related and derived from this deity they are a major part of the Shakti Cult and are mostly highlighted as the local deities, in various rural areas. As quoted, ‘these traditions are an amalgam of animist traditions which have been accepted devotionally in the Shakti cult keeping the presence of predominant female goddesses in mind.’
This provides us with the idea of how every village has humbly showcased their devotion to the Shakti cult by culminating small temples in the names of such feminine powers who act as the guardian deities of the particular village areas.
Symbolism behind the ‘Masks’
When it comes to Gamira masks we find how the villagers pledge a certain sort of dedication and number of masks to their favored deity. It is believed that behind that symbolism of the mask is the notation of a wish to be fulfilled; basically, it is the advent of the belief that showcases that whenever the desire for something or if there’s a wish to desire, the patrons ask their idolized deity in the form of the mask. Similarly, the craft also caters to the needs of the dancer or any villager who wishes to give a mask as an offering to the village deity.
We find how a villager makes a ‘promise’ i.e., ‘manat’, prioritizing to offer a mask to a deity if his or her wish is fulfilled.
Thus, nominally, we see a wood-crafted Gamira mask representing widely the characters of the two distinct forms of dance, which are the “Gamira and the Ram-Vanwas.”
It is stated that most Gamira face masks have an interdisciplinary or subsidiary character, which is made thinking of the perspective of the main character. So it is the reflection of a principal character who is surrounded by the subsidiary characters. For instance, in the advent of Ram-Vanwas King Dasarath is always accompanied by the mask of Jatayu. It highlights the scenario of how King Dasarath had a remarkable bond with Jatayu. Essentially portraying a special reference to the Van-Kand, we analyze how, while channelizing Ram-Vanwas, the characters of Ram, Sita, Laksman, Kaikeyi, Sumitra, and Angad are also crafted in the form of said masks. However, it is important to keep in mind that the Ram-Vanwas pantheon, is not given to the deities as any form of offering.
Likely, we find another Gamira Format, which traces the characters of (Buro-Buri), i.e., Old man & old woman, Samsan Kali, Dakini Biswal, Masan Kali, Bagh (Tiger), Nar-Rakhas and Narsingha Avatar.
In the traditional sense, the Gamira dance always starts with the entry of Buro-Buri which the villagers believe to be the actual human forms of Shiva and Parvati.
Tradition
As per the Gamira Tradition, the said gods especially Shiva and Parvati took the human form while descending on earth, so to bless the humans and help them fight the ‘evil forces.’
Keeping this perspective in mind they believed that the gods wanted the humans to lead a righteous life. Hence, they also started appearing in the dreams of villagers and reminded them to worship through the enlightened way of Gamira. Thus, we will always find that in the Gamira Dance, the last and perhaps the most powerful character is the Narsingha-Avatar, who, as per our mythological history, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Depicted as a half-man, half-lion incarnation he was known to have appeared in order to protect dharma and defeat the demon Hiranyakashipu. Hence, this dance phase symbolically shows the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
Apart from the masks, this dance form has no vocal or oral part, it is solely accompanied by the musical instruments of Dhak (percussion drum that is ethnic to rural Bengal) and Kansar (bell metal disk used as Cymbal).
Current Status
In the present time, we find that how the craft was thoroughly researched and studied at the Mahisbathan Gramin Hasta Shilpa Samabay Samiti Limited. The center basically operates as a cooperative for the craftsmen and the artists who live in nearby villages and have devoted their lives to the craft of Gamira mask-making. The center here is on the advent to resurrect this art, which, as per the current society, is on the verge of extinction. By giving the craftsman a place to work and ensuring their payments, this center is rigorously also working on the sale of masks and on other artifacts as well.