ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the ritual, material, and performative qualities of puppets and masks of the ankiya bhaona genre from Assam and nearby regions of eastern India. Although a late entrant into the “classical” dance repertoire of India, bhaona has long been a form of ritual, religious, and aesthetic performance in this region, with a lineage dating back to the sixteenth century. Under the guidance of saint-scholar Sankaradeva, his disciples, including Madhavdeva, spread the neo-Vaishnavite (devotion to Lord Vishnu) movement in the region. Many performative and artistic forms were developed under their guidance, as can be seen in the bhaona plays. These plays are performed for religio-ritual purposes in sattras, or congregational temple halls, as well as among families who believe in their sacred and restorative values. In this chapter, I discuss the enlarged puppets used in the bhaona performances and examine their structural and ritual contexts.
