Texture & Mixture: Mapping Dinajpur through lens of its different communities
Monon Muntaka’s fascinating exhibition takes you on an audio-visual journey through three distinct, yet intertwined worlds that meet in one city in the north of Bangladesh
When Monon Muntaka headed out to discover the cultural diversity of Dinajpur, first in 2021, it was merely for a project for the Goethe Institut. She, along with her project mates, had five days to conjure up a visual story on Dinajpur and its people, for an exhibition.
"I wanted my narration to be different from others. Everybody else was focusing on portraits, I wanted to offer something different, and that's why I stopped 'observing' people and chose to concentrate on textures," explained Muntaka.
"I brought out Google Maps and straight up drew a line from one point of Dinajpur city to another, and I just started walking."
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On her 'journey' through Dinajpur, Muntaka was drawn in by the textures of the buildings and establishments, and by the history that bound its residents. She passed through narrow neighbourhoods of the Oraons, the Marwaris and the Biharis - discovering individualistic characteristics of each neighbourhood.
"After speaking to the locals, I got to know that most of the buildings and structures were 120-150 years old. I started photographing the textures and realised they were way more vibrant. I felt these 'mundane,' 'decaying' walls were pieces of art themselves," said Muntaka.
When she visited the Marwaris, she found the buildings and structures to have yet another individualistic property to them. Over there, she discovered buildings with courtyards, structures involving sophisticated architecture.
"I realised that every community has a distinctive colour palette and you can differentiate amongst the textures and structure," added Muntaka.
Muntaka feels that she always had a gut feeling - an inner voice - telling her to return to Dinajpur. As if she had some unfinished business and untold stories of the cultural and ethnic diversity in the North. That is why she returned to Dinajpur in 2023, with a view to expand on her story telling of the diversity that she had discovered a couple of years ago.
Muntaka heard historical tales, biblical passages, religious doctrines, and dreams, as she lived everything from the past to the present.
Every living creature changes and adapts to its environment. The same is true of intangible aspects of life, such as customs and standards.
She observed that the people who live in this particular Bihari community put on a vermillion sindoor before taking their vows of matrimony. The Oraon still try keeping their Hindu traditions alive, even after converting to Christianity.
Sadly, they are gradually losing their native dialect, which had up until now only been vocally preserved. Additionally, she discovered during her second visit that several Oraon families had moved into brick and concrete homes.
The Marwari's walls reveal a different tale. A variety of modern relics, such as toothbrush holders and nail cutters, hang over these lime-washed walls, in vivid and vibrant hues. These relics sit on top of the whitewashed walls from the past, which are covered with ever-growing and ever-changing texture of flakes.
These organic textures on the walls remind Muntaka of the changes the land goes through when observed from an aerial perspective. Each community has its own texture, and the blending of various communities results in a distinctive cultural diversity.
Even though each community has its own set of rules, they are all interconnected and live in a way that promotes the long-term harmony of the environment.
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This is an Oraon household in Khalpara. This is a painting of their household which they painted themselves. Most of the Oraons of this area have converted to Christianity from 'Adi Dharm.' They don't have huge homesteads. They live in small rooms, in compact spaces. You can see they have a mosquito net at hand for hospitality, in case a visitor shows up. Everything in the house seems disorganised in an organised manner; if it makes sense to you.
The photo depicts an old, unrenovated middle-class Marwari household with 'Raam, Raam' written beside the switchboard. The family values 'Raakhi Bandhan' greatly, a festival where sisters tie 'Raakhi' on brothers' wrists, while chanting 'Raam Raam,' leading them to inscribe the sacred words on their walls.
I was pacing across a Bihari homestead when the lady of the house, Gulshan, asked me why I was there. She's a mother of five kids but has no daughter. Seeing me triggered a soft spot she had for a 'daughter' and invited me into her home. She brought out a photo album and showed her wedding photos, while also informing me about the customs and rituals in Bihari weddings. In a Bihari wedding, after the 'Mahar,' the groom uses a ring to put the orange-tinged vermillion on the forehead of the bride. During this ritual, the bride's face is kept covered with a veil.
