Mask-Maker

I am stunned at the wooden masks

_{At the Exhibition centre,}

_{‘Gomera’ read a card,}

_{While the maker was busy}

_{Making smaller papier mache ones}

_{For the curious kids.}

 

_{What colours, what artistry,}

_{Long bulbous eyes}

_{Out-bursting on a pale blue face,}

_{The red tongue out,}

_{The third eye open,}

_{The head dress another few weeks of work}

 

_{I recall experiences elsewhere}

_{And can’t help uttering,}

_{‘Such artistry, each mask a masterpiece}

_{Abroad, these would be housed in museums,}

_{Here, how are you selling}

_{These for a pittance?’}

 

_{The old man smiles,}

_{‘These are our village deities Babu}

_{Our soul and life -}

_{Can you trap them in a museum?}

_{If you do, how will we inspire}

_{Our next generations?’}

 

_{The masks stare back at me –}

_{The demon, the trader}

_{Trying to tag their value,}

_{Until I smile,}

_{The masks may have a price,}

_{The tradition does not}

 

_{Kushmandi’s masks will continue}

_{The deities keep prancing}

_{In the mustard fields,}

_{As they have for centuries}

_{In a distant city,}

_{A mask-maker merges with his many masks…}

 

_{31st October 2026}

 

_{Kushmandi, in West Bengal’s Dakshin Dinajpur district, is particularly associated with the wooden masks of Gomira, a ritual dance tradition rooted in the Rajbanshi communities of North Bengal. Here, artisans carve large, expressive faces representing deities, mythological figures, animals and other characters. These masks are not simply theatrical props or decorative objects: they are treated as sacred presences, used in village performances and sometimes offered to deities in fulfilment of a vow. Gomira performances traditionally take place around the agricultural season, particularly from April to July, invoking the village goddess Chandi and seeking protection and the triumph of good over evil. The masks have also acquired a market as works of art, and the Wooden Mask of Kushmandi received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2018, recognising its distinctive regional identity and craft heritage.}