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Hungarian Busó Mask Carnival at Delhi, India
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Gopalan Rajamani, guest author
On 16 February 2024, the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Centre in Delhi organised a Hungarian Busó Mask Carnival titled BuSHOW 3.0. The event was curated by Neerajj Mittra, an eminent artist and curator. The event took place at the Embassy of Hungary in New Delhi.
Farsang, as it is known, marks the carnival season in Hungary, a time when a range of festivities are held across the country to banish the winter blues. Busójárás is the season’s focal point, an elaborate event held in the town of Mohács, amidst the revelry of fancy dress and spirited celebrations.
Legend has it that the festival is held to celebrate two events. The first is the successful attempt by the people of Mohács to scare away the invading Turks. The story goes that during the Ottoman occupation, the local people were forced to flee the town and hide in nearby swamps. However, on a stormy night, following the advice of an elderly Šokac man, a group donned terrifying masks and returned to Mohács, instilling such fear in the invading Turks that they mistook them for demons and beat a hasty retreat.
Today, the festival serves the dual purpose to bid adieu to winter and herald the arrival of spring. In 2009, the festival gained a place on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Described as “more than a social event,” the Busójárás was acknowledged for its profound social and cultural implications. The Hungarikum Committee added the Mohácsi Busójárás, a masked end-of-winter tradition to the Collection of Hungarikums in 2012.
Drawing participation from various Design and Art Schools across Delhi NCR, including the likes of Pearl Academy, IVS School of Design, Jamia Milia Islamia, Vedatya’s Institute, The Heritage School, SKV and Rohini, the event brought the essence of Busó to life in the heart of Delhi, India. Students created art installations to celebrate the Hungarian Busójárás, breathing new life into used materials to infuse the masks with fresh meaning.