Chaitra Parva ends with vow to promote Chhau
SARAIKELA: The five-day Chaitra Parva at Saraikela, about 170 km south of Ranchi, concluded on Monday with a vow to protect and promote Chhau dance of the region.
Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das who was the chief guest on the last day of the programme reiterated that his government would attract youngsters and create an environment which is conducive to the growth of the dance form dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Raja Pratap Aditya Singh Deo, patron of Srikalapith, the royal school of Chhau laid stress on the need for organising activities throughout the year for the development of Saraikela Chhau.
Once a princely estate of Orissa (now Odisha) and Bihar province set up in 1620 by Kumar Bikram Singh Saraikela-Kharswan revelled in the weeklong Chaitra Parva. The estate became a part of the unified Bihar in 1948 and came to Jharkhand’s fold when the 28th state was created on November 15, 2000.
A traditional dance form of Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand, Saraikela Chhau has carved a niche for itself in the country and abroad.
The land has produced six Padmas in Saraikela Chhau. They are Sudhendra Narayan Singh Deo, Kedar Sahu, Shyama Charan Sakhi, Mangala Charan Mahanty, Makardhwaj Daroga and Pt Gopal Dubey.
There were two programmes: one was organised by Srikalapith on the premises of the royal family and the other was Chhau Mahotsav-cum-Swadeshi Mela organised by the departments of tourism and art and culture in coordination with the state Chhau Nritya Kala Kendra (SCNKK) in Birsa stadium.
Thousands of people attended both the programmes that included photo exhibitions, training camps for mask-making and essay competitions on Chhau.
While Chhau mania gripped the Saraikela fort, the underutilised Birsa stadium in terms of sporting activities became a centre of attraction as people made beelines to have a glimpse of the cultural fiesta.