An Ethnographic Exploration of the Change and Continuity of the ‘Bhaona’ Tradition of Assam

The performing tradition of Bhaona in Assam is unique and inclusive of its kind for it takes in skills, traditional values, motivations, and intellectual-spiritual course of the performers in narrating mythological characters besides the involvement of planners, organizers, Mukha makers, and audience. The shifts and deviations are noticed in the form, structure, and performance of the Bhaona including dialogue, stage, dress, make-up, and technical advancements with the gradual continuity of its participatory practice. The Bhaona tradition in Assam has shifted from a naive form that begins at Namghar, Sattra, and villages of Assam to an adaptable and informed variety as it moves to platforms, National and International. The changes in the tradition include the commercialization of the different components of the Bhaona tradition coupled with a widening scope of the audience at local, national, and international levels.