Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s ‘Manabasa Gurubara’, ‘Chhau Dance’ and ‘Rabana Chhaya Dance’ have been included among 106 items listed in Intangible Cultural Heritage list released by the Union culture ministry, a government notification said.
Releasing the list Saturday, Union culture minister Prahlad Singh Patel said 13 traditions of Indian Intangible Cultural Heritages were already recognised by UNESCO, and the national list was an attempt to further raise awareness and protect these practices.
“This initiative is a part of the ministry’s Vision 2024 programme. In the list released on the ministry’s website, a total of 106 practices from different states are mentioned, though some are repeated as they occur in more than one state and five elements are common to the entire country,” Patel said.
The Intangible Cultural Heritage list has five broad categories such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, knowledge and practices related to nature and traditional craftsmanship.
It may be mentioned here that Chhau Dance originated in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and is widely performed in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts. It is based on the martial arts tradition where the dancers tell the tales of Hindu epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and other classical Indian literature in a dance form.
Manabasa Gurubara is a festival widely celebrated by Hindu families across the state to please the Goddess of Wealth Laxmi. It is held every Thursday in the month of ‘Margasira’ according to Hindu calendar.
Ravana Chhaya can be considered a single dance style or a family of related dances. It generally performed by the dancers of Puri district.
Two video links of Chhau and Ravana Chaya dances have been released by the Union Culture Ministry in its official website. By clicking on the video link people can see the dance videos and learn more about the rich heritage of the state.
PNN