HAZRA DANCE: ON THE VERGE OF EXTINCTION

Photo: Pronov Ghosh

Hazra dance is almost on the verge of extinction in Bangladesh. According to tradition, in the rural areas Hazra dance was performed in mid-Baishakh (the first month of the Bengali calendar) just for entertainment purposes. This dance is still performed in some rural areas of the country; usually in parts of Dhaka, Tangail, Shariatpur and Keraniganj. Youngsters in the village perform the dance; though older people used to take part in it as well, it's become rare nowadays. Performers wear different types of masks and bring snakes along with them. Popular characters enacted by the performers include deities Shiva and Kali. They dance to the beats of Dhak (indigenous percussion). Just some decades back, before the rural masses had access to TV and internet, these performing art forms were the only sources of entertainment. Now in the twenty first century, newer forms of recreation are gradually replacing the traditional ones like Hazra dance.

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY PRONOV GHOSH