Gigantic masks carved out of wood, the Mukh Khela is the other name for Shiknidhal mask, which is used in the war dance. Mukh Khela is a part of the Gambhira dance and is performed in Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and North and South Dinajpur districts of North Bengal.

Themes of Mukh Khela
Like the Chhau dance, the Mukh Khela dance too is based on themes related to ancient themes, which are largely inspired by the numerous song-filled chapters of the Ramayana. There are also dances with themes of Mahishasura Mardini, along with masks in the characters of Lord Rama, Ravana and even animal masks of tigers, deers, bears, monkeys, etc. The Mukh Khela dance also has other popular Hindu deities like Goddess Kali, Goddess Bhadrakali, etc.

The Mukh Khela dance is mainly performed during the Ambubachi ceremony in the Bengali month of Chaitra. At the end of the festivities the masks are deposited with the head priest of Mukh Khela, who is known as "Debangshi" which literally denotes an image of God. A fresh coat of paint is applied on the masks before the commencement of the following year`s festival.

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