Samsan Nrittya | Sahaj Parab 2016 | Folk Dance of Bengal

'Samsan' a bengali word means 'Burning Ghat' where bengali Hindus performs their last funeral rites. But the dance what we see here has no direct connection with the Burning Ghat. During the Chaitra Sankranti (Bengali Year ending)people of Katwa in Burdwan district of West Bengal use to perform Gajan Festival. As Gajan is the festival of worshipping Lord Siva they call the THANS (Temple ) of Lord Siva as SAMSAN. As SIVA is the master of the Ghosts so HE resides in the Samsan. Thus the name Samsan Dance derived. Dancers clad as grotesque dead bodies sings pathos song surrounding a dancer clad as Lord SHIVA. The makeup of the dancers are something to be noticed. Warm vegetable colors are used to create the bright makeup on the Dancer face. The attire of the dancers are also specially made . You can find two wings are coming out when they spreads their arms, as if the vultures are flying towards the rotten dead bodies. So near to Kolkata they reside but they were so far unknown to the cultural capital . Sahaj Parab 2016 did a fabulous job by bringing this Dance Troupe to Nazrul Manch . Mostly music less singing of the dancers is accompanied by a Dhak & Kanshi, the Ghungroo tied in the dancers feet also resonates the musical root of rural Bengal.