Kokna Tribe Masks: Traditional Art & Cultural Significance

The Kokna, an Adivasi tribal community, inhabit the Sahyadri-Satpura Ranges in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Referred to as Kokna, Kokni, and Kukna, this community remains largely unexplored from both physical and cultural anthropological perspectives. The tribe is known to carve masks depicting mythological characters for the Bhavada festival, which is a combination of dance and drama held during the harvest season in March and April.

The masks created by the tribe for the Bhavada festival are used in dances held across a number of villages at night during the summer season. Each village has its own set of masks, and sometimes villages are loaned masks if they cannot afford their own. Masked dancers enact myths from tribal folklore as well as Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata during the festival procession. Every dancer performs steps typical of the character whose mask he wears while dancing to the tune of musical instruments such as the Sur, Kahali, and Sambal.

Beyond their visual appeal, Kokna masks hold deep ritual significance within the Bhavada celebration. The festival is not only a dance-drama but a ritual invocation for agricultural prosperity, protection from harm and community well-being. Before the performances begin, masks are ritually purified with turmeric, rice flour or incense smoke, acknowledging them as vessels of ancestral spirits or deities for the duration of the festival. Dancers fast or maintain ritual abstinence before wearing the masks, as the act of donning them symbolises temporarily embodying the deity or spirit represented. The night-long performances, accompanied by the glow of torches and the sounds of traditional instruments, create an atmosphere where myth, memory and communal identity merge. Through these rituals, the Kokna reinforce harmony between humans, the natural world, and the supernatural forces they revere.

Kokna masks are traditionally carved from single pieces of softwood and then decorated with bamboo strips and colored papers. They are painted in bright red, yellow, and green and depict Hindu gods and goddesses such as Panch Pandava, Ravana, and Ganesh, as well as tribal deities such as Kaloba, Mhasoba, and Rangatai. They also represent spirits, totems, animals, and birds. The masks emphasize facial expressions such as brows, mustaches, cheeks, and noses.

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The craft of mask-making among the Kokna is hereditary, passed down through generations within specialised families that hold ritual authority. Senior artisans teach younger members how to identify suitable wood, carve expressive features and apply symbolic colours. Each artisan learns not only the technical skills but also the myths, taboos and ritual meanings associated with each character. Masks representing powerful deities or spirits must be carved with utmost precision and respect, often accompanied by small chants or offerings during the process. This intimate transmission of knowledge preserves both the artistic and spiritual authenticity of Kokna mask-making.

Some masks, featuring fearsome female figures resembling Devi, sport tiered crowns and tiny circular eye holes to aid masked dancers. Specific families are entrusted with creating particular mask types, with the responsibility falling on male members for painting and decoration. Cow dung, clay, rice husks, and paper serve as traditional mask-making materials, while modern versions opt for Papier-mâché due to its lighter and more durable nature. This evolution encapsulates the rich heritage and adaptability of Kokna mask-making.

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In recent years, Kokna mask-making has faced challenges due to urban migration, deforestation of traditional softwoods and reduced participation in tribal festivals. Yet the tradition continues to adapt. Some artisans now create lighter papier-mâché masks for stage performances, school programs and cultural exhibitions. NGOs and tribal welfare organisations have begun documenting mask types and supporting artisans through workshops and markets. These newer avenues not only ensure economic support for Kokna craftsmen but also help preserve the visual language of the masks, which remain vital markers of identity and community pride. Despite pressures of modernisation, Kokna mask-making endures as a living expression of cultural resilience.

References:

Kulkarni, V. S. (1970). ANTHROPOMETRY OF KOKNA TRIBE OF NASIK DISTRICT MAHARASHTRA STATE. Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute, 31/32(1/2), 370–390. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42930921

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