Mask gallery
Meet the characters behind the masks.
Every mask embodies a figure from the Bhaona stage. Select any mask to see the full photograph and its story.
Garuda
The divine eagle
Garuda, the mighty eagle mount of Vishnu, wears a radiant golden crown, painted in saffron and green.
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The Royal Elder
King Dasharatha
A regal elder of the Ramayana stage, crowned in gold and red with a flowing silver beard.
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Shiva
The ascetic god
Blue-faced with a third eye, a crescent moon, and a coiled cobra in his topknot.
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The Demon
Rakshasa in performance
Ferocious teeth, bulging eyes, and wild hair mark the rakshasa brought to life in performance.
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Hanuman
The devoted hero
A golden crown over a monkey visage, a white muzzle, and a red tilaka.
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Hanuman in the field
Performance portrait
A Bhaona performer wears Hanuman's mask by the water at dusk.
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Krishna and his court
Divine blue forms
Krishna anchors this set of Vaishnava masks, crowned with a peacock feather.
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Jatayu
The noble vulture
The old vulture who gave his life trying to rescue Sita.
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Jatayu, from the workshop
The maker's view
The two Jatayu masks rest between the final coats of paint.
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The bird form
Garuda's green visage
Green paint, a sweeping red beak, and a golden crown mark the great bird of Bhaona theatre.
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In the making
Before the paint
Every mask begins as bare clay-and-cloth form, before colour and character.
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