Murguma: A fine blend of Chhau Dance, Palash Flowers and Exotic Tribals!
Somewhere in the concrete jungle of a metropolitan city, the actual sweetness of Bengal has got lost. The clutches of commercialism has grasped the entire city. In this melee we have lost touch with ourselves also….we are all running the rat race. Let’s all stop for a moment and look around. What do you hear? Quarrelling, cribbing, complaints etc.?
We should find ‘ourselves and our Sonar Bangla’ before it gets lost in eternity. The true essence of Bengal can be found in its villages/ interiors. The red soil, ‘Palash’ flowers, fragrance of wet soil, pure air etc. is what Bengal is all about. On a lighter note, after feeding your heart and soul, ‘Pet Pooja’ is also required with mouthwatering traditional Bengali cuisines. Then only you will achieve Nirvana.
One such place to reconnect with oneself and Bengal is Muruguma. It is a folk village on the boundary of Purulia and Jharkhand. It is nearly 335 kms from Kolkata. Muruguma has reserved its place in the slope of Ajodhya hills.Muruguma is the place where one can experience the charismatic Chhau Dance. It has its roots in the Purulia district in West Bengal and extracts inspiration from martial arts and combative training. Stories are depicted through dancing, which is why elaborate masks and headgear associated with battle and war are worn during the performance. The story revolves around the two great epics of Indian Mythology i.e. Ramayana and Mahabharata. These performances are mostly held during the Gajan Festival, which takes place to honour Lord Shiva. Generallythe audience sits in a circle or a semi-circle around them to observe the show. One cannot ignore the significant role played by the musicians in it. The Dhol, Shehnai and Dhamsa (percussion instrument and Indian clarinets) are the three principal instruments used in these performances.
In this type of dance, the costume also plays a crucial role as the Purulia Chhau Dance is known for its distinctive set and costumes. The male and female dancers don particular types of attires. Men weardazzling coloured dhotis or flared bottoms with a matching kurta on top. The kurta is usually concealed by the vast amount of costume jewellery that is worn in the form of necklaces which are not only large in size but also extremely heavy. Female dancers, or male dancers portraying female characters, usually wear colourful sarees. Each and every element of this dance form is of supreme importance.Even the masks worn during this performance are of major importance as they are used to communicate emotions and the nature of the character. The style and variation of the costume of the dancers largely depends on the characters being portrayed by them. Normally, there are three types of characters; Gods and Goddesses, Demons and Monsters.When depicting Gods and Goddesses, the red colour is an eminentfacet of the clothing, as is detailedartificialjewellery around the neck and the headgear. The costume for Gods and Goddesses depends on which God/ Goddesses the dancers are portraying. Demons, while also elaborately dressed, are most likely to have different coloured faces, for example, a blue face. Apart from this, the costume itself does not vary that much.For monsters and animals, the ensembleis made to depict an animal or monster along with appropriate masks. For instance, while representing a lion, a dancer will put on a lion suit along with a lion mask. This may or may not be accompanied by a weapon such as a sword.

It’s a matter of pride being a Bengali that UNESCO has listed Purulia’sChhau Dance on the world heritage list of dances.

During summer, Muruguma turns fiery red with the blooming of ‘Palash’ flowers everywhere. In West Bengal, ‘Palash’ flowers arerelated with spring. Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore liked its bright orange flame so much that he penned down numerous poems and songs based on it. Nature lovers and admirers of Tagore can hum the song “Phagunhawarongeronge, pagoljhoralukiyejhawre, golap, jawba, parul, palash parijaterbuker pore….” while strolling beside the Muruguma Lake.In Santiniketan, where Tagore lived, this flower has become an essential part of the celebration of spring.
You can’t get any intimate with oneself and Bengal than this. Let’s the technologies and gadgets not snatch away the warmth and purity from us and Our Bengal. You have Bengal topped with the Ajodhya hills, immersed in Muruguma, sprinkled with Chhau Dance, dipped in the redness of ‘Palash’ flowers and showered with the brilliance of unparalleled Tagore giving Bengal it’s much needed sweetness and garnished with beautiful Falls, Dams, Lakes such as Bamni Waterfall, Muruguma Lake, Upper Dam and Lower Dam, Khairabera Dam, Marble Lake and Charida Mask Village.
Muruguma is waiting for you with arms wide open!