Chhau is a dance-drama form prevalent in Eastern India. There are three major forms of Chhau, each known by its geographic location.
Some Chhau dances use large stylized masks. Although they are all known as Chhau, their styles differ considerably in terms of their cultural background and their dance characteristics.
Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia displays a creation by D'damas during the Fashion Extravaganza event as part of the 2009 International Indian Film Academy Awards at the Venetian Macao-Hotel-Resort on June 12, 2009 in Macau. (Photo by Victor Fraile/Getty Images)
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"Sindur Khela" is a major event of Navratri Dashami. Married women apply vermilion to each other and greet each other with sweets. It is in the evening when Goddess Durga is immersed. Bengalis greet each other with bijoya greetings and men follow the customary 'Kolakuli' (embrace each other).
The Goddess of tenth day during Saran Navratri is dressed in Red coloured saree. Tenth Day of Durga Navaratri, 2009 – Vijaya Dashami – september 28, monday.
The Goddess of ninth day during Saran Navratri is dressed in Purple coloured saree. Ninth Day of Durga Navaratri, 2009 – Mahanavami Puja – Suhasini Puja – Ayudha Puja – Kanya Puja or Kumari Puja – september 27, sunday.
The Goddess of eighth day during Saran Navratri is dressed in Parrot Green coloured saree. Eighth Day of Durga Sharan Navaratri, 2009 – Goddess Saraswati Mata Puja – september 26, saturday.
The Goddess of sixth day during Saran Navratri is dressed in Yellow coloured saree. Sixth Day of Durga Saran Navaratri, Maha Sashti – september 24, thursday.
The Goddess of fifth day during Saran Navratri is dressed in Blue coloured saree. Fifth Day of Durga Saran Navaratri, 2009 – Upang Lalitha Gauri Vrata – septemeber 23, wednesday.
Chhau is a masked dance, the motif of which has been drawn from the mythological picturesque. In the opinion of some people "Chhau" is a dialect which meams six faces, Viz. fore head, eyes, nose, cheeks, lips and chin and a mask bears the six parts of the face. The word 'Chhau' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Chhaya' meaning 'shade image mask' which is an essential features of this art. The beginning of Chhau dances is lost in hoary past and the rulers have been intimately associated with religious festivals known as "Chaitra Parva" celebrated every year for several centuries.
The Goddess of third day during Saran Navratri is dressed in white coloured saree. Third day of Durga Saran Navaratri, 2009 – Sthana Vriddhi Gauri Vrata – september 21, monday.
The Goddess of second day during Saran Navratri is dressed in Orange coloured saree.
Bibi Russell is a fashion designer and former international model from Bangladesh. The Asiaweek magazine highlighted her as "one of the 20 people to watch in the millennium".
Goddess Shakti is worshipped during 9 days of Navratri. Durga Navratri 2009 begins on September 19 and ends on September 28.The tradition of 9 colours is very common in Gujarat, Maharashtra and some other North Indian states during Durga Navaratri puja.
The Goddess of first day during Saran Navratri is dressed in Dark Green coloured saree.
"Classical Indian / Jazz Fusion is alive and well thanks to folks like Nadaka, who retain all the best elements of its 1970's roots while adding touches which keep a contemporary sound. These albums are among the gems of recent recordings in this genre". (The Internet Guide to Indian Classical /Jazz Fusion) Nadaka's Live show with the Basavaraj brothers is outstanding! Here we find different traditions, Hindustan, Carnatic, Jazz, meshing seamlessly without losing their distinctness. We¹re in a unique zone where Nadaka's Indianised guitar leads us from traditional modes to more jazzy rhythms, from breathtaking fast passages back to soft soothing chords, where the Flute can be quick Carnatic one moment and Sitar smooth Hindustani the next; where the Violin can be intensely percussive or achingly fragile, the Tabla & Mridangam weave subtle accompaniments or explode into a solid wall of sound. Nadaka - Guitar & Vocal Balasai - Flute Raghavendra - Violin Sivaramakrishna - Sitar Ganesh - Tabla & Ghatam Kesavan - Mridangam & Kanjira
Sweden and India find a common place in music through the ears and imagination of the group Mynta. Founded in 1979, the group has created their own genre of music, while preserving the integrity and traditions of their root sounds. The Swedish-Indian fusionists define world music, by extracting the organic elements that runs through the vein of centuries-old musical histories. MYNTA is led by the Indian musicians Fazal Qureshi (tabla) and Shankar Mahadevan (vocal). These virtuosos within the classic Indian musical tradition have performed all over the world with such musicians as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Sharma, and Zakir Hussain. Fazal is the younger brother of Zakir Hussain, who belonged to John McLaughlin's famous group Shakti, one of the earliest fusion bands in Europe.
Performers SANTIAGO JIMENEZ - Violin, Keyboard DALLAS SMITH - Indian flute, Soprano, Clarinet CHRISTIAN PAULIN - Electric Bass FAZAL QURESHI - Tabla, Kanjira MAX ÅHMAN - Acoustic Guitar OLA BOTHZÉN - Percussion SHANKAR MAHADEVAN - Vocal
