I Documented The Last Tattooed Women Of The Tharu Tribe

Tattooing plays a major role in certain communities. Some people use their body as an art canvas to reflect their status, ideology, memorable stories, etc…

For the Tharu tribe in Chitwan, a Nepalese town, I found that the women’s tattoo designs have 3 different stories.

The first one was extremely shocking. During the era of the Kingdom of Nepal, the royal family used to spend their summer in the Chitwan area. They used to take the beautiful girls of the native tribe as sex slaves. To stop these abductions, the tribal tattoo trend started, and the girls got inked in order to deform themselves so they looked ugly to the royal men.

The second tattoo’s meaning was as shocking as the first one. Tattooing used to be mandatory for a girl during the teenage phase, or she would be estranged from her family and community. She won’t be allowed to talk, marry, and even people won’t be allowed to take anything she touches, like food and objects. She must get inked in order to be accepted by her people.

The third meaning behind these tribal designs was about beauty and the afterlife. Once a woman dies, she will rise in heaven in her most beautiful form.

All the above might be true. They all prove one thing, the meaningful tattoo art played a major part in the role of the tribe’s women. It was a survival mode in their life and even after death.

More info: Instagram

Elderly Tharu woman with traditional tattoos on her arms and wearing a teal blouse.

Tattooed hand of a Tharu woman adorned with colorful bangles.

Close-up of tattooed legs of a Tharu tribe woman, wearing flip-flops on a sandy surface.

Elderly Tharu woman with traditional tattoos, sitting on a stone step in a rural setting.

Tattooed hand of a Tharu tribe woman, showcasing intricate patterns and traditional jewelry.

Tattooed hand of an elderly Tharu woman, showcasing traditional designs and cultural heritage.

Tharu tribe woman displaying traditional tattoos with a smile, wearing a pink top in a village setting.

Elderly Tharu woman's tattooed hands with colorful bangles, seated outdoors.

Tattooed legs of Tharu tribe woman in sandals on a dirt path, showcasing traditional tribal tattoos.

Tattooed hands of an elderly Tharu woman, resting on a turquoise cloth background with stone pebbles nearby.

Tattooed feet of a Tharu tribe woman on pebbled ground, illustrating traditional body art.

A tattooed hand of a Tharu tribe woman, showing intricate traditional designs and aged skin.

Elderly woman from the Tharu tribe with traditional tattoos, sitting outdoors in colorful clothing.

Tattooed hands of Tharu women with red bangles, showcasing tribal heritage and traditional art.

Tattooed hands of an elderly Tharu woman, showcasing traditional body art against a colorful skirt background.

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