TIGER DANCE: FROM GANJAM TO DELHI

Artist, teacher, and photographer Kannu Behera of Odisha grew up watching family members perform the tiger dance as ritual, folk form, or to fulfill a promise to the gods to ensure a loved one's recovery. His upcoming exhibition in Delhi is nostalgia, cultural pride and a tribute rolled into one.

- AKASH CHATTERJEE

BAGHA Natcha ('Tiger Dance'), celebrated in the Ganjamand Subarnapur districts of Odisha, involves men from the local villages who paint their bodies in yellow and black stripes to perform the famous dance.

Coming from a family of such dancers, teacher, artist, and photographer Kannu Behera, decided to showcase this famous tradition of his village at the heart of Delhi.

"I grew up watching my family members perform the tiger dance in multiple celebrations. I myself took part in that a lot of times. But my life took a different turn when I moved to Delhi, a metropolis, from my village. My purpose in life, my education, everything pushed my life to a different corner. Through my exhibition, I wanted to pay tribute to those days and the festivals that used to be most significant in my life," says the artist.

Starting from September 19 at the Open Palm Court Gallery in the India Habitat Centre, this exhibition, curated by Johny ML, includes paintings, photography, and prints. Using oil on acrylic and watercolours, Behera has tried to portray raw emotions performers feel while enacting 'Bagha Nata'.