Purulia, West Bengal

Purulia Chhau Mask

Large, stylised masks depicting deities, mythological figures, animals and tribal characters, used in the Purulia Chhau dance and now sold as iconic West Bengal folk art. They are hand-made in Charida village (Baghmundi block) — the recognised hub of Chhau mask-making, where nearly every street-side home works as a workshop — as light paper-mâché (paper, clay and cloth) bodies that are hand-painted in bold, simple pastel shades. The Purulia Chhau mask was awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2018, and the craft is stocked at airports and large retail chains across India as a representative craft of the state. A buyer gets an authentic, GI-tagged hand-painted mask ranging from small wall decor to full-size dance masks.

Typical price: ₹350-5000 (small 27x18 cm wall masks from about 350; larger hand-painted masks higher)

Buying tip: Look for hand-painted paper-mâché rather than moulded plastic, and check the evenness of painting around the eyes, mouth and brow. Charida workshops and GI-tagged online stores (e.g. GiTAGGED, GI Heritage) are reliable sources; the GI tag and artisan handwork justify the price.