Courtyards at Homes
After watching this interesting podcast by The Thinking Muslim, it hit me that there is a quiet calculus in how we construct our lives, one that measures not just the material cost of brick and mortar, but the subtle price we pay for the serenity of the soul.
In Bangladesh, the true spirit of a home has rarely ever belonged to the city. No matter how many decades are spent navigating the dense, concrete corridors of urban existence, city life remains an extended interlude- a temporary refuge that sometimes stretches across an entire generation, yet never quite becomes the destination. The true anchor remains desher bari- the village home.
It is a place deeply bound by memory, lineage, and return. In its quiet earth lies the family cemetery, an enduring sanctuary where generations rest, and where we, InshaAllah, will one day return. The traditional landscape speaks to a rhythm that honors life: the open courtyard (uthan) sprawling at the front of the house to gather the sky, and the village mosque sitting beside a still pond, its reflection reflecting a deep, unhurried peace.
To trade this for a lifelong lease on a crowded city flat is to exchange expansive peace for a cramped permanence. The urge to modernise the countryside to flatten green canopies for tall towers and shopping malls mistakes noise for progress. True stewardship lies in preserving what is whole. If we are to build, we must build gently, ensuring our presence does not silence the birds, fell the ancient trees, or displace the living nature around us. Rather than surrendering entirely to the urban drift, our longings should draw us back toward the soil, keeping the quiet dignity of the village intact for generations to come.
https://youtu.be/LSCuQWww6pQ
This was an interesting podcast by The Thinking Muslim. After watching this, I was thinking how the idea of analyzing the cost of materials, having serenity at home are perceived at Bangladesh.
In most cases, people of Bangladesh- has a village home. A cemetery, where most of the family members are or will be buried, Inshaallah. And when people goes outside the home to the city, it is generally temporary (even though that temporary period is maybe a whole generation in current circumstances).
Also, most village homes has a courtyard at front. Mosques at the villages mostly has a pond at the vicinity.
And I think, we should continue to preserve these instead of permanently moving to the city, buying a flat at a crowded location without serenity and should crave to go back to the villages. Also, should not try to modernize the serene villages with tall towers, shopping malls and such. Rather if we build, we should build without compromising the nature, trees, animals and birds.
Comments
Post a Comment