For hundreds of years, the tradition of tattooing was venerated across the agrarian and forested landscapes of India. There was a time when tribals 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.
However, have you ever thought why women of the ‘Kutia Kondh’ tribe have tattoos on their face and other body parts? While there are various theories regarding the same, here we list a few important reasons:
Most of India’s tattooed tribes lived in the remote hinterlands, where stealing of women by rival tribes was a common occurrence. It is believed, young girls were tattooed to make them unappealing to the rival tribes, who could otherwise abduct their prettiest women.
This helps them evade the eyes of influential sex predators. Women from lower castes had to have visible parts of their bodies tattooed to signal their inferior status.
Similarly, women of the Kutia Kondh tribe of Orissa, called the ‘the people of the spirit world,’ ink themselves with beautiful geometric facial tattoos; it is said these identifying marks ensure they recognize each other once they enter the spirit world.
The tattooing procedure involved using thorns to cut the skin. The wounds were then allowed to get infected so that the tattoos became larger, darker and clearer.
On the other hand, some tattooed their faces to indicate their prowess in battle and headcount. Tattoos also helped in establishing tribal identity in the region, besides enabling recognition after death in a war or fatal accident.