Chau Jhumur Festival, held at Bamnia, Jaldha II, in Purulia district on Mar 28th, 29th and 30th 2023, from 3 pm to 8 pm to celebrate the traditional and cultural folk art forms of Purulia. This festival is a part of the initiative Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs of West Bengal undertaken by the Department of MSME&T, Govt. of West Bengal and UNESCO to strengthen ICH based craft and performing arts of the state.
Chau Jhumur Mela celebrated and showcased two folk traditions of the state—Chau dance and Jhumur songs and dance. Chau is a vibrant, colourful and vigorous form of dance drama representing mythological tales that propagate moral and ethical values. The dancers wear colourful and ornate masks that depict characters from the epic. Chau dance was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Jhumur dance is a folk art form of the Chhotanagpur plateau covering several districts of West Bengal. The art form celebrates life and togetherness.
During the festival, visitors explored Purulia’s community-based heritage, interacted with the artists, and got back home with an immersive cultural experience.
