Masked Dance Performers of East India
odd: label: Local Number
content: HSFA 1984.2.2
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Emigh, John
setName: label: See more items in
content: John Emigh films of Indian performing arts
physdesc: label: Extent
content: Film reels (8 hours, color sound)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1980
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Full film record documents masked dance performances and melas festivals of Orissa, India. Footage includes masked dance performances in the Shiva and Ramela celebrations of Ganjam Province; the Honujatra celebration commemorating the early life of Krishna and the dance-drama of Aurimanya; the Festival of Harirajpur; the Chitraparava celebration; shadow puppetry devoted to Rama which forms part of the Ravanachya tradition; puja offerings at a temple in Ganjam; and the procession of Kali and devotions by participants which include firewalking, flagellation, animal sacrifices, and devotees impailed on hooks from a spinning turnstyle. Footage also includes illustration of the martial arts aspects of dance and documentation of the process by which masks are made from clay molds layered with paper mache and linen.