SanthalLife

A Visual Journey into Santhal Life

A pdf guide on Santhal village life – house plan and mud house repairing. Download from link below.

Key features of a traditional Santhali house:

Traditional Santhali houses, or orah, are noted for their artistic wall designs and use of natural materials.

Layout:

Rectangular shape: Santhal homes are typically rectangular and divided into specific areas.
Cardinal directions: Directions have cultural significance. The northern part is the “birth part,” the southern is the “death part,” the eastern references the sun, and the western the moon.
Separate sections: A house will typically have a specific place of worship (Bonga Orah), a bedroom (Gitich Orah), and a cowshed (Gora Orah). The kitchen (Daka Orah) is sometimes found as a separate structure or section.
Village street: Homes are often constructed on both sides of a wide village street.

Construction materials:

Walls: Made of mud mixed with cow dung and husks. The mud plaster is a key element for the decorative wall art.
Roof: Traditionally thatched with long grass found in forests or straw. Due to modernization, some homes now have tin roofs.
Floor: Plastered with a mud and cow dung mixture.

Wall art:

Decorative paintings: Santhali houses are famous for their colorful wall paintings, which feature geometric patterns, floral motifs, and figures of animals and birds.
Embossed designs: Another technique involves creating bas-relief designs using layers of clay.
Sohrai art: A specific style of wall art, often monochromatic, is made during the Sohrai festival. Cream-colored earth is layered over a black undercoat, and designs are etched to reveal the patterns.