The kollam, a sinuous labyrinthine design believed to ensnare evil beings, is inked on bodies to permanently keep them safe and secure until reunited with deceased ancestors in the afterlife.Įid Special: Love Seviyan? Here's How The Sweet Treat Won Over India The nomadic Korathi tattoo artists travelled the countryside in search of clients. They were very common, especially Tamil Nadu, before 1980. In Southern India, permanent tattoos are called pachakutharathu. Tattoos also helped in establishing tribal identity in the region, besides enabling recognition after death in a war or fatal accident.īody art was very prevalent among the warlike tribes of the northeast (including the Noctes and Wanchos of Arunachal) as they regarded tattoos as a sign of strength, courage, and virility because of the pain associated with the piercing process. The unmarried Singpho girls were barred from wearing tattoos.Īlso prominent among the tattooed tribes of the northeast were the headhunting Konyaks of Nagaland who tattooed their faces to indicate their prowess in battle and headcount. The married women were tattooed on both legs from the ankles to the knees, while the men tattooed their hands. The Indian government put a ban on this in the 1970s but the practice lives on in some of the untouched interiors of the northeast.Īnother tribe, the Singhpo of Assam and Arunachal, had distinct rules for each gender. The wounds were then allowed to get infected so that the tattoos became larger, darker and clearer. The Apatani tattooing procedure involved using thorns to cut the skin and soot mixed in animal fat to fill in the deep blue colour. In the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, for instance, young girls were tattooed to make them unappealing to the rival tribes of the neighbouring districts, who could otherwise abduct their prettiest women. Most of India’s tattooed tribes lived in the remote hinterlands of the country, where stealing of women by rival tribes was a common occurrence. They called the process gudna (burying the needle in Hindi)and flaunted the markings as jewellery – the kind of jewellery no one could take away from them even if they were to lose all their worldly possessions. The ancient maze-like carvings on prehistoric rocks were copied by tribal communities on their bodies. Read more > Photo Sourceįor hundreds of years, the tradition of tattooing was venerated across the agrarian and forested landscapes of India. His 'Kochi Heritage Project' focuses on the city's art, culture, history, gastronomy and more. Johann Kuruvilla is building a repository of stories surrounding the iconic Fort Kochi. 'Our Past Needs a Future': Meet The Storyteller Unveiling Fort Kochi's Fascinating History
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |