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Regular-article-logo Thursday, 14 August 2025

Delhi bounty for Chhau

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RANJAN DASGUPTA Published 30.01.03, 12:00 AM

Jamshedpur, Jan. 30: In an effort to boost the Chhau tradition of Seraikela-Kharsawan, the Centre has sanctioned funds to set up training centres and related infrastructure to promote the three dance forms practised in the district.

While one centre would be set up at Chandil to promote Manbhum form, another centre would come up at Kharsawan to promote the local genre. The third centre would come up at Seraikela to promote the royal form.

“We had asked the Union government to grant financial aid to these three forms of Chhau dance. We had also sent a detailed proposal and the Centre has agreed to grant us aid in this regard,” state welfare minister Arjun Munda told The Telegraph today.

According to him, the Union tribal welfare ministry would grant Rs 60 lakh to set up training centres and other basic infrastructure.

Munda added that the welfare ministry and district administration of Seraikela-Kharsawan would jointly work to establish these centres.

The minister added that the proposal would soon be placed before the Cabinet. “We would start work on the projects immediately after an approval from the state Cabinet,” the welfare minister added.

State welfare ministry sources said the minister would convene a meeting with deputy commissioner of the district, Vandana Dadel, and experts from cultural groups involved in promoting Chhau dance to finalise the plans.

The Union tribal welfare minister Joel Oraon during the Seraikela Chhau Mahotsav last year had promised to render help to promote these three Chhau dances in the district. He had also urged the government to send a detailed proposal to the Centre soon.

“We are also planning to have a common dancing hall at the Seraikela town, apart from these three training centres, so that dancers can jointly practise at regular intervals,” Munda said.

Each of the three training centres would be built in about 1.5 acres. “There would be a dancing hall, music room, separate rooms for preserving the costumes, masks and other instruments of the dancers,” sources saidThey admitted that at present there are no provisions to preserve the costumes, masks and other instrument of Chhau dancers in the district.

“We want all the three forms of Chhau dance of Seraikela-Kharsawan to thrive. It would help promote cultural tourism in the district,” said Munda.

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