Chhau Dance & Paryavaran Mela in Ranchi

We went to the Paryavaran Mela in Ranchi and saw a lovely Chhau dance in the evening. Chhau binds together people from different social strata and ethnic backgrounds with diverse social practices, beliefs, professions, and languages. This semi-classical dance form originated at the royal court of Saraikela, now in Jharkhand. However, increasing industrialization, economic pressures, and new media are leading to a decrease in collective participation with communities becoming disconnected from their roots.

Karma Puja: Sacred Festival to Celebrate Nature

The Karma Puja is a festival of agriculture and is very sacred to the indigenous peoples in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam. Tribes like Baiga, Oraon, Binjhwari, Munda, Majhwar, Ho, Khortha, Korba, Santhal, Nagpuri and many more tribal communities celebrate this festival.