IANS
Tattoos are becoming increasingly popular among Nepal’s urban crowd with artists proliferating to revive this traditional art form.
Tattooing has its age-old history rooted in Nepal as well and it is an important cultural component for different indigenous people living here. “I got my first tattoo done 50 years ago when I was only 12 years old. Tattooing was a trend even in those days,” Bhairab Maharjan said, Xinhua reported.
Maharjan belongs to the Newar community for which tattooing, or Lhachyogu in their traditional language, literally meaning “ writing on the flesh”, plays a significant role.
Tattoos are particularly popular among elderly Newari women, who can be spotted across the Kathmandu valley with various designs and patterns inked on their ankles and hands.
“I tattooed my name on my left arm and a bird on my right hand. There was a tattooist who used to ink everyone in my village,” Maya Shrestha, 54, said.
Tattooing is not always for beautification process. Nepal’s Tharu community used it as a tool to hide the beauty of its women as bride kidnapping was widespread within their community.
Although in Nepal the inking process is an old-age tradition, it lost its original charm sometime in the 1970s as it was often associated with deviant social groups.
Despite the generation gap, tattoos are once again in vogue with artists proliferating as the ancient art turns hip in Nepal.
“I started out as an artist; now instead of drawing on paper I express myself on people’s skin,” Mohan Gurung, one of Nepal’s pioneer tattoo artists, said.
Today, tattoos, rather than a taboo, are perceived as a fashion statement. Studios typically charge a minimum of $30 for a simple design. Not surprisingly, more and more people are turning to this profession for a living.
New tattoo parlors are mushrooming every few months. Roseon Shrestha, together with some of the best inkers in town, said that he is about to set up a new studio, Tattoo Junction, in Kathmandu’s tourist hub.
Although there is hardly any regulation of the business, studio owners emphasise hygiene and an increasing number of foreigners now choose Nepal as a “tattoo destination”.
“I will get a compass tattooed on my leg. I found inspiration while trekking in the Annapurna and I decided to get it done here in Nepal,” Claire from Canada said, just before getting inked at Mohan’s Tattoo Inn.
International tattoo and lifestyle convention, such as Nepal Inked or the Nepal Tattoo Convention, provide a platform for local and international tattoo artists to showcase their work and learn from each other.
This year, according to the organiser Nepal Tattoo, 80 tattoo artists from 20 different countries gathered in Kathmandu on April 25-28 to participate in the 4th International Nepal Tattoo Convention.
A tourist having his arm tattooed.