Indian Masks

Masks have varied uses in India. Since time immemorial, they have been an integral part of traditional drama, dance and dance-drama, apart from their ceremonial and totemic and sacrificial uses. India released a series of four stamps depicting some of the Indian masks. You can see on these stamps the Sun, the Moon, the Ravana and the Narasimha masks. The first three are paper masks used in the "Ramlila", a dance drama performed on the banks of the holy Ganges in the ancient city of Benares. Ravana is the ten-headed demon signifying all evil and Ramlila depicts the triump of good over evil. Sun and Moon are regarded in Indian mythology as demogods. Narasimha is an "avatar" (incarnation) of God Vishnu when he assumed the very peculiar half man half beast form to slay the demon king Hiranya Kashipa. The stamps were issued in 1974.