Hungarian Busó Mask Carnival at Delhi, India

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.

The evening was further enhanced by a live music performance courtesy of a Maharashtrian folk group, enchanting the audience with Gondhal and Bharood melodies. Diplomats, artists, students and enthusiasts alike graced the occasion, adding to its vibrancy and allure.

“Our culture is over 1000 years old and enriched by historical exchanges with other countries. We are proud of this cultural heritage and the mission of our cultural centre is to promote these values: historical events, food and drinks,  buildings, traditions, inventions or landscapes. A significant part of them, are considered Hungarikums – the collective term indicating the typically Hungarian attribute, uniqueness, speciality and quality of these cultural values. One of these  Hungarikums is the Busójárás. At this time of the year, Busós appear in the streets of Mohács, a small town in the southern part of Hungary and work hard to scare off the winter. We hope that bringing them here through artworks, photos and performances  will take the Indian audience closer to Hungary and its culture.”

Read here our coverage of a previous event: Hungarian Busó Mask Carnival was organised in New Delhi, India – PHOTOS