In West Bengal (India), gombhira performances are centred around the Malda District whereas Chapai Nawabganj District is the main centre of Gambhira performances in Bangladesh. The tradition is also popular in the nearby districts of Rajshahi and Naogaon.[3] It is performed with a particularly distinctive rhythm and dance with two performers, always personifying a man and his maternal grandfather, discussing a topic to raise social awareness.
The Gambhira dance is performed all over the Malda district of North Bengal during the festival of Chaitra Sankranti. The masks are made out of neem and fig trees by the local Sutradhar community. Sometimes they were also made the mask of clay.[6] The three-dimensional crowns are the specialty of these masks. First, the facial features are carved out from a piece of wood and then coloured according to the character. This mask dance performed with Gombhira song. The songs of Gambhira originated among the Hindu community of Maldah in West Bengal, completely in its theme formation.[7]
^Bangladesh. Calaccitra o Prakāśana Bibhāga (1988). Bangladesh Quarterly, Volume 8. University of California. pp. 4–8.
^A. F. Salahuddin Ahmed; Bazlul Mobin Chowdhury (2004). Bangladesh, national culture, and heritage: an introductory reader. Independent University, Bangladesh. pp. 407–410. ISBN 978-984-8509-00-5.
^ abDon Rubin; Chua Soo Pong; Ravi Chaturvedi; Minoru Tanokura; Ramendu Majundar (2001). The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Asia/Pacific. Taylor & Francis. pp. 78–86. ISBN 9780415260879.