the dying tradition of tatoos in Haryana

In Haryana traditionally men were never tattooed, but women were freely tattooed on the face, legs, arms  and body. One dot is made in the centre of the forehead and three on the left nostril and at the corners of each eye brows in the form of a triangle. All the limbs and the fingers and toes may also be tattooed, the most common patterns being a peacock with spread wings, a fish, cuckoo, scorpion, a child’s doll, a sieve, a pattern of Sīta’s cookroom and representations of all female ornaments.  

 When I was a kid the girls of my age use to make small tattoo dots on their forehead in the middle of the chin and on the corners of eyebrows.

I also tried to make some tattoos we(me and my friend sunheri) sewing needle  put some black charcoal powder from griddle on the spot then repeatedly prick the space with hand using needle  to mark the tattoo, the process of pricking and putting the charcoal powder repeated several times. Next day we washed the tatood space ..Yes they were there .but they fade away after 2-3 years.so that was the practice used by girls to make tattoo dots on their faces.

Tatoo (Sita ki rasoi ) on My mom’s forearm

My mom used to say that when we accompany my grandma to the annual  fare   we enjoy a lot and girls used to get tattoos on their body parts. My mom got her 

Mom wrapping yarn on sticks

Sita  ki rasoi on mom's forearm

another view of sita ki rasoi on mom's forearm

 tattoo done when she was only 10 years of age. Another tattoo of   was engraved on her backside of left hand. “Sita ki Rasoi”, is another traditional Hindu tattoo design fading away in the memory of people. It was worn by woman before getting married. The design was supposed to protect the bearer from evil eye.

The woman, now a days, avoid getting traditional tattoos even in villages, says a tattoo traditional tattoo artist.

Traditional Indian tattoos are dying a slow death in our area. Some of the designs are almost lost or are confined to limited geography.  The design  “Sita ki Rasoi” (Sita’s Kitchen) on my mother’s arm is the thing of past now .

My mom used to say that this  design was worn by married woman to have an organised kitchen, just like the one ran by Goddess Sita, wife of Lord Ram. As per the mythology Sita’s kitchen was full of unlimited and tasty food. The sign was considered auspicious for all married women. I just learned that in some of the geography it was mandatory for married woman to have the tattoo.

the pattern of sita ki rasoi is simple   here;source internet

xoxo