Villagers transform simple mud houses with delicate paintings

By Hannah Stevens @Hannahshewans

VILLAGERS use mud-made houses as canvas for intricate, symbolic paintings

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Both Santal tribespeople and Hindus live in the rural village

This rural village in North Bengal, Bangladesh displays a cacophony of vibrant artwork and auspicious symbols.

Photographer Zakir Chowdhury visited the village to document the personalised houses.

Some of the houses are decorated with simplistic white paints and patterns to contrast the dark mud underneath

Zakir said: “These houses are made by mud and the walls are beautifully painted using natural colours. Both people from the Santal tribe and Hindu people live in these houses.

Other houses cover the mud completely with vibrant paints and patterns

“The village paintings are considered to be auspicious symbols related to fertility and fecundity.”

All the houses in the village are built using mud walls

Santal people are classified as a scheduled tribe, which refers to groups who have been officially designated as historically disadvantaged people in India - during British rule of India they were simply known as Depressed Classes.

The practice of painting mud walls is common in rural villages across India

The indigenous group worship Marang buru, or Bonga, as the Supreme deity and pray to a court of spirits who represent different aspects of the world and ward off evil spirits.

Several of the mud homes display more detailed pictures with animals and intricate patterns

Comparatively Hindu belief encompasses a variety of traditions, including looking to the inner divine Self - atman - or trusting in Gods like Shiva or Vishnu as the one true God.

Some of the villager's choose to highlight just the doors and windows of their homes with vibrant colours

Santal people predominantly speak Santali

Despite differing religions, the artful villagers have come together to transform their homes into mud masterpieces.

Many of the painted symbols are considered to have auspicious meanings

Some have elected for simplistic, but striking, white patterns to contrast the dark mud of the walls, while others have created colourful floral scenes complimented by hung portraits of religions idols or animals.