TATTOO CULTURE & FASHION IN NEPAL

Tattoo culture & fashion in Nepal is one of the oldest traditions practiced in Newar, Tharu, Gurungs and Magars communities in the country. The real-time when the tattoo culture & fashion in Nepal began is unknown, but the practice of getting a tattoo was a part of the cultural and social aspect of people’s lives since the ancient times. In the modern times, the same trend may not be followed by the younger generation, but, religious symbols and designs can be seen in older members of many families.

Social and Cultural aspect

Most popular amongst women, getting inked during Jatras (festivals) and Melas (carnival) like Rato Machindra Jatra, Indra Jatra in the Kathmandu valley was quite popular during the old days especially in Tebhal and Thimi, Bhaktapur. Lha: Chyogu as called in Nepali Bhasha, "Lha" means "flesh" and "chyogu" means "writing"; the tattoo in the legs of Newari women symbolize her strength. And an interesting belief about getting a tattoo is when a person dies, he takes nothing but the tattoos on his body. And on the way to heaven, if one finds hardships he/she can sell the tattoos and therefore make a way to heaven more comfortably. Tattoos making in children at an early age are also believed to protect them from illness and evil spirits. The Newari usually gets images and symbols of different gods and goddesses and specific patterns related to nature. In the Syashyas tribe in a Newar community, designs on legs and hands can be seen in the old Jyapu women’s around Bhaktapur and Patan. The mixture of coal and milk from selected plants was used to produce color in the tattoo design.
In Gurung and Magar, tribe ladies decorate their faces and near lips with designs of sun, moon and the stars. They used the designs as beautifying process and a symbol of good luck for them and their families. Some even believe that the trend of getting their face inked started in ancient times when the king used to take any women he wished. And to keep the women safe, they started making face designs to distract the king from taking their women in ancient times.
**Nepal a perfect destination for tattooing
In Nepal, the trend of cultural tattooing has evolved and taken different forms. Nowadays getting a tattoo is a way that a person expresses him/herself through art, words or symbols. Nepal is now a known as one of the best destinations for getting inked. Many Nepalese artists have been internationally renowned for their artistic work and creativity. Insure Nepal is a very affordable and a special place for getting inked.
**Tharu – An Ancient Tattoo Artist.
From the medieval period to this Facebook world, the tattoo has always been linked to the human skin. Indigenous of New Zealand used shark teeth, whereas natives from other continents would use sharp bones to penetrate the ink inside the body. This indicates two things: Tattooing is as old as paintings and it is a painful process, yet many people do volunteer for it. The several motives might be the encouragement of the practice of tattoo, such as attraction, to enhance the beauty, a sign of identification, hidden messages, or to scare off the evil spirits.
In Nepal, indigenous Tharu is culturally scheduled to exercise tattooing. Tattooing, known as Leela in Tharu, is practiced by both men and women. Comparatively to men, women are more covered up by tattoos. It is also one of the channels to exhibit the beauty of the feminine. However, with passing years, just the elderly women seem to be heavily tattooed.
Tharu Community Homestay in Chitwan welcomed us in a very typical Tharu manner, and from the entire community. It is a community-based business, which gives your soul satisfaction that somehow your vacation payments are recycled into charity. More than the vacation, we were in Chitwan to explore the beauty of nature and to experience the Tharu culture as close as we could.
Tharu tribe is full of art and colors and perhaps this obsession encouraged them to practice tattooist and to take their art after the life. I met with one of the oldest Tharu ladies of the town where I was staying. She was a shy woman, but every time she laughed at my not-so-funny jokes, she would cover up her face showing her beautiful hand-tattoos. On my query that what could be the reasons behind to put on tattoos, she replied that it was a century-old tradition and the tattoo would reserve her place in heaven. When she was a kid, older women used to tell her stories that to enter the heaven, one must have the tattoo or else one would rather send into the hell and lashed with thorny branches.
She added that it wasn’t not only in heaven, but tattoos were done for various reasons. If someone was suffering from continuous pain in any part of the body, then tattoo must be made upon it. This would let the dirty blood out and lead to the relief from pain. Another belief is to cure the bareness, a woman must have the tattoo on her chest. She said that it was a magical power and she had witnessed by herself that many women were able to give birth after having the tattoo. 
Though she really doesn’t remember her actual age when she was first tattooed but, traditionally, women after the age of 13 volunteers for the tattoo. Older woman mostly does the tattoo, gudhni is a term given to the professional tattooer in Tharu language.
Tattoos are inked in different patterns. Some women are seen with various icons like a cooking pot, snake, wood, temple, heart or even names of god. Some believe that these patterns have hidden symbol, but some are just patterned to look beautiful. A Shy lady told me that when she was a kid, many young ladies would put dots on their cheeks, forehead, or even in their entire face, merely to multiply their beauty but nowadays young generation would feel shame and deny to put tattoo anywhere.
It was a genuine moan from her because losing one of the best assets of the culture is certainly a heartbreaking issue. And when I asked one young Tharu lady that why youngsters were denied for the tattoo, she replied that people from out of the Tharu tribes, city folks especially, would make fun of their body paintings, which discouraged them to have any of them. Her excuse was also understandable, but how I wish this tattoo-tradition would go on forever. I just wish that in coming years, people could see this centuries-old tradition into the skin rather than just being a chapter or a pictorial matter in some history books.