The Chhau (pronounced Cho) dance is performed in parts of West Bengal and Orissa. Mayurbhanj, Nilagiri and Sareikala (now in Bihar) are famous for this dance form. The distinguishing feature of this dance drama is the skillful use of masks and costumes, supplemented by the right music.

The origin of Chhau dance is shrouded in mystery as no historical account on this has been recovered yet. The word "Chhau" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Chhaya", which means a mask. However, some scholars believe that Chhau is a colloquial Oriya word, meaning to attack or hunt stealthily. This connotation links Chhau to a war dance. And actually the steps and movements, the attack and defense, the costumes, the masks, the dancers, the props (swords and shields), the drums and their reverberating powerful beats - all suggest that Chhau dance must have originated from marital practices. All the performers are men; even women's roles are played by the men wearing women's masks.

The actors are poor and illiterate peasants. The performances are held annually on the occasion of Chaitra Parva (spring festival) dedicated to Ardhanariswara - a composite form of Siva-Sakti. The performances commence late at night and continue till dawn. It is an open-air dance at ground level. Twenty square feet area is demarcated for the performers and another five feet corridor for the entrance and exit of the actors. The drummer performs in a circular area located adjacent to the stage.
The costumes used are made out of inexpensive materials available locally. The actors representing gods wear light coloured trousers, whereas deep coloured and striped ones are sported by the demons. Lord Shiva puts on a loin of a tiger's skin and his son Ganesh wears a dhoti. The sages and Brahmins wear dhotis of saffron color. The main characters wear embroidered jackets, beautifully designed by using silk thread, tinsels and artificial pearls.

All the characters appear in their appropriate masks. There are masks representing gods and goddesses, nymphs and demons, warriors and courtesans and myriad other characters. These facial masks are manufactured mostly in the famed village in the Purulia district of West Bengal. Skilled craftsmen very artistically manufacture them by employing simple tools and inexpensive ingredients. They are moulded from papier-mache and then polished and painted in bright colours. The basic colour is flesh pink and for Krishna, it is blue. The gods and goddesses wear star-spangled facial masks decorated with feathers and jewels. Ravana, Mahishasura and other demons wear grotesque masks.

The dance begins after a brief invocation to Lord Ganesh. The music, vibrant and rhythmic, is produced by traditional instruments like drums, flutes and cymbals. As the faces of the dancers are masked, the sentiments and gestures are conveyed entirely by the rhythmic movements of the body and the pantomimic gestures. Spontaneity and vigor are the soul of this dance. The responsive audience is the inseparable part of the dance-drama of Chhau.

The dance borrows most of its themes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, legends of Krishna and other Puranic episodes. The characters of these dances are therefore legendary characters like Krishna, Shiva, Rama, Parasurama, Hanuman, Jambaban etc. All these themes exude lots of energy and fury, quite in keeping with the dancing style. Keeping with the martial tradition, the dominating mood in Chhau dance is the "Tandava Bhaba" or heroism. The solo dancers display graceful and vigorous movements with sword and shield in hands. One of the most impressive dances is the Siva Tandava - the pose and gestures are majestic and movement of the limbs is vigorous. Mayura is a magnificent dance fantasy that depicts the ecstatic mood of the peacock at the approach of the rain.