Jamshedpur, Aug. 7: The state government has come out in support of two ailing Chhau exponents — Padma Shri Guru Kedar Nath Sahu and Guru Makar Dhwaj Darogha — from Seraikela.

Culture minister Sudesh Mahto handed over a cheque of Rs 1 lakh each to Darogha and Bijay Sahu, son of Kedar Nath Sahu, today. Secretary N.N. Sinha and other department officials were also present on the occasion.

The money has been given from the Artistes’ Welfare Fund, created by the department, for backing senior artistes, either for treatment or for urgent requirements.

This is for the first time that monetary support has been provided to artistes from the fund.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Sahu said he was gratified by the gesture. “My father is bed-ridden. He is suffering from several complications and is undergoing treatment ,” said Sahu, who is also a senior instructor at the Government Chhau Centre at Seraikela.

Similar was the feeling of Darogha, who is currently teaching Chhau students under a project of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in Delhi.

Darogha, who is now suffering from a tumour, had been to Denmark, Romania and many other places within the country to put up Chhau performances. He is undergoing treatment at Lifeline Nursing Home in Jamshedpur.

Guru Kedar Nath Sahu takes the credit of popularising the Chhau dance form to India and many other countries.

A Padma Shri awardee, Sahu has been given the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award. He has performed before personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, to name a few.

Meanwhile, the government has sought detailed information about the artistes and their art forms living within Jharkhand, which will find entry in a directory published by the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Calcutta.

This is a first such endeavour to compile information on the artistes of the eastern zone of the country.

“Despite being a member of the EZCC, we did not have sufficient information about artistes from other states. Similarly, they had no idea about our performers. This was causing a gap among the member states,” said assistant culture director H.P. Sinha.

Other member states include Bengal, Bihar, Manipur, Sikkim, Orissa, Tripura and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.