“If all you want to see is Asmani
Visit Rahimuddin’s small house in Rasulpur.
Not a house, but a bird’s nest made with ‘venna’ leaves
The slightest rain lets water pour inside.”
Remember Asmani? What would her tiny house look like with a roof made of leaves? How can they live such a simple life inside a Palm Leaf Hut with rainwashed windows, open balconies, and a small attic? It’s as if there’s a home within a home. Sometimes, the whole country is our home. Sometimes home is a city or town. A homestead that we left behind. Or the familiar alleys of a small town. You can never define a home within the confines of four walls, which is why, today, we will be exploring the traditional home of Bengal – a traditional Bengali village house and its variations.
Palm Leaf Hut
Imagine village roads winding through the greenery. On those very roads, you will find these huts with roofs made of palm leaves. Its Bengali name would translate to ‘Round Leaf House’, but the palm leaves are anything but round. The Palm Tree is one out of thousands of species of trees that you will find in the Sundarbans. Palm leaves look similar to the leaves of a coconut tree. The leaves provide amazing insulation for village dwellers. You will find such houses near the Sundarbans, in Patuakhali, Bagerhat, Khulna, and Satkhira. Although now lost in the midst of brick houses in the towns and cities, the frontier people have kept this traditional Bengali village house alive. They live in these tiny huts, singing folk music with smiles on their faces. They find happiness in such a small space. After all, they made the hut themselves, with love and care.
Gerostho Bari
Tin shed houses, surrounded by bamboo fences, holding countless stories within – that is what you call a ‘Gerestho Bari’. These houses come with fish ponds and grain stores. They hold a great place in the fables of Bengal. At noon, you will find children playing in the yard and the elders gossipping. These houses hold so many memories. 15-20 people living under one roof. Gerostho Baris have a sense of Bengali heritage to them. Here people eat together from the same bowl, with all the cooking done in one big pot. The only thing luxurious about these homes is the ‘Kachari Ghor’, which serves a purpose similar to that of a living room. In those days, living room decor was different. There was also the ‘Dheki Ghor’, where rice was pounded. The Gerostho Bari still lives on in our memories.
Mud House
When you think of a traditional Bengali village house, the first thing that comes to mind is a mud house. A neat abode providing a cool environment for its inhabitants. Many great memories were made in these houses. Being made of mud, these houses provide amazing insulation. A housewife is drying her hair beside the window. The prints of her wet feet makes the mud floor darker. The children are bathing in the pond beside the house. This is the true definition of life in rural Bangladesh. Like the mud houses, the people here are plain and honest. Their relationships with people are built like the mud blocks used to build these houses and are as strong as the sticky mud that binds these blocks together.
Tin Shed House
This is the most common house you will see in villages nowadays. When the rain falls, each droplet pings against the tin shed roof of the house, creating its own music. Tin shed houses are painted in various colors and patterns. In Homna Upazila of Comilla, tin artisans make intricate patterns in their tin work, which is then applied to these houses. Tin shed houses have been around for ages, coloring the villages of Bangladesh with their vibrant coats of paint. Places like Homna, Daudkandi, Meghna, and Titas have many such houses. Tinwork is an ancient practice, and tin artistry skills have been passed down from generation to generation. These houses have many nicknames. Tin shed houses define the rural landscape of Bangladesh.
The houses of old were a sight to marvel! The traditional Bengali village house might not have all the luxuries, but these are dear to the people of Bangladesh. They are a big part of the heritage of our country. Do let us know how you liked the article in the comments!
