page_title: Masks of West Bengal
section_title: Gomira mask
hierarchical_section_title: Masks of West Bengal / Gomira mask
caption_attribution_description: English: This photo has-been taken during a photo walk
context_page_description: Mask or Mukhosh of West Bengal, as it known has a mysterious history. Mostly it uses for the Mask Dance, the folk dance of West Bengal. The wearing of these masks is connected with early types of folklore and religion. There is various type of masks made up of clay, wood, sponge wood or shola, pith, paper, metal etc. Generally, half masks are made up of clay, pith and paper and wooden masks are very rare. Some of the masks came from the Tribal of West Bengal. Geographically, West Bengal comes well within this mask using culture zone. Mask in West Bengal is mostly used in folk dance. UNESCO selected The Rural Craft Hub of Bengal to showcase their artwork in Paris in 2015.
context_section_description: Gomira mask is a part of Gomira dance which is originated in North and South Dinajpur of West Bengal. The word Gomira is colloquial from Gram-Chandi, a female deity. The extract origin of this craft is no doubt very old and some of the craftsmen claim it is at least as old as the beginning of kaliyug. The Gomira dances are organized to propitiate the deity to usher in the good forces and drive out the evil forces. The mask dance organised within the month of mid-April to mid-July. The wood-crafted gomira mask represents two distinct forms. The characters of two distinct forms of dance are the Gomira and the Ram-Vanwas. The scary masks of the Gamira are made from the wood of the Gamar tree. Holes are made under the eyes of the mask for the wearer to see.
  In Gomira mask dance Mahiraban is a mythical character in the epic Ramayana. Mahiraban is said to be the brother of Raban, the Lanka king. The tri-headed wooden mask is made to represent Mahiraban. This mask is popular in South Dinajpur.
  The ancient Gomira dance of North Dinajpur used sponge wood mask. At first, the artist prepares a model from mashed paper layered upon a piece of cloth soaked in mud water. After drying the cloth, it is topped with sponge wood and coloured. For the glow, it is given a varnish polish n the mask and decorated with sequences, foil and coloured paper.
  Shiknidhal mask, the other gigantic wooden mask used in the gomira dance of South Dinajpur. This mask is used in the war dance. It is also called Mukha Khel meaning the game of masks.
  In 2013, after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the West Bengal government and UNESCO to promote culture-based livelihoods, things began to change for the better for these mask-makers.
caption: Wooden Gomira Masks of Dakshin Dinajpur
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