Bhikhodi or Chaitua
Lata has a pair of temples dedicated to goddess Nanda Devi. One is within the village and
the other is at the top end of the village. The temples symbolize her natal home and in-
law’s house in that order. On the first day of Bhikhodi, the harvest festival, the villagers
bring their married daughter home (temple within the village) in an elaborate procession.
They organize the theatre of Nanda Cycle that includes multi-week jagars and mask dance
dramas starting on an auspicious date inscribed on the local calendar. April 13-14, the
dates on which Baisakhi is celebrated all over India, always fall within the festive period.
Mask dance dramas and other cultural acts take place for five days inclusive of the dates. At
the end of the 5-day cultural programs, a brief break is taken and then the daughter is sent
back to her in-law’s house (temple at the top of the village) in a similar kind of procession
on an auspicious day and the annual festival concludes.Jagars, ballads, and other cultural events mainly take place after the dinner. Only boys
and men play all the roles irrespective of gender of the character. The artists move slowly
and steadily in all the performances except in Gopichand that has some fast beats and
movements.The wooden masks represent deities, kings, and commoners. All mask dance dramas
happen in the courtyard of the natal home in the presence of the deity. Even Ishwar Raja
and Rani episodes that have divine couple, Shiv and Parvati (Gaura), as the king and the
queen happened in front of the idol of the goddess Nanda Devi (Gaura or Parvati).The natal home in the open air square, Chopta, is surrounded by sheltered places for the
audience on two sides and a public water point on one side.248
Volume 4, Issue 1 | June 2019