Gambhira Masks

Gambhira masks represent so much more than ancient, preserved craft. They present a collective’s beliefs, their values and cherished traditions. Purists would hasten to add that they are a proud token of the Malda district of North Bengal. Donned during the festival of Chaitra Sankranti, these masks are amongst the many that uphold the fact that the ancient world considered masks as instruments of revelations. They were pathways to the world of gods and other invisible powers. The promise of divinity aside, making these masks have been the proud task of the local Sutradhar community for decades, as old as the three-dimensional crowns that adorn them, clearly their most distinguishing feature.

Meticulously carved out of wood, each mask depicts a different face-tribal in origin but distinct in character. These are much more than tribal face masks, they’re the protagonists of their own story, a perfectly preserved slice of history.