‘Kothi’ is a mud house with thatched roof. It originated in Jacobabad and Larkana Districts. It is associated with some Balochi tribes like Khosa, Magsi and Sirky. From Jacobabad and Larkana, the Kothi house migrated to Shikarpur, Sukkur and Khairpur. Later it entered into Hyderabad and Mirpur Khas. With the passage of time, the Kothi house not only diffused to new areas but also changes in its structure took place. The original mud Kothi house was later built of mud brick and then of baked brick. Mud, rice straw and wooden logs constitute the main materials for the constructions of the Kothi mud house. Mud and rice straw are locally available in abundance, and the wooden logs are collected from nearby forests.
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Pictured here is a mud house in Kohli, Sindh, where the women decorate their mud houses with intricate designs on the walls.
Source: Folk houses in Sindh, a study in cultural geography by Mohammad Safiruddin.
Photos: Iqbal Khatri
