Publication

Abstract : North East India is an entrepot of mask dances. The region has an immigrant population from Tibet, Myanmar, Nepal, and ‘mainland India’. Consequently, the population practices Buddhism of both Theravada and Mahayana schools along with influences of magico- animism and Bonism as part of indigenous religious belief system. Not only Buddhism but also Neo-Vaisnavite school of Hinduism has domination over a few states of North East. This varied practice of religion has subjugated the mask dances of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Therefore, the paper intends to explore the migration of ritualistic mask dances of the North East with their religious significance. The paper examines the significance of religion in color scheming, motif and character-making. Moreover, textual, contextual and textural settings will also be studied.