Once a painful form of self-protection, tattooed faces are rare now

When she painted their traditional tattoos in the Daringbadi area of ​​Kandhamal area of ​​Odisha, she saw an old tribal lady from the Kandhamal area of ​​Odisha with her granddaughter. |Photo source: Biswaranjan Rout

In her seventies, Subojini Pradhan walked in the dusty driveway of Kutabadi Village in the remote Kandhamal district of Odisha, with a skin tone of barely visible on her face and barely visible under complex dark black tattoo patterns. Ms. Subojini Pradhan is the last of the Conda tribe women to play these amazing facial marks, a vanishing tradition rooted in the dark past. Generations of Kanda women have tattooed with distinct geometric designs – not decoration, but a form of protection. Their purpose is to look less attractive so that they can escape sexual exploitation by landlords, local royals and British colonists.

Now, as modernity penetrates the hills of Kandhamal, young girls have finished this practice, and Ms. Subojini Pradhan is pleased to be able to pass on the painful traditions to the next generation.

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“God gave each of us a beautiful face. We have no right to destroy it. But tradition is imposed on us, and we have no choice but to obey our elders. Maybe I can erase all the tattoos and see my face naturally, without touching forms. Still, I’m glad my granddaughter was free from this strange, old practice, and they never said it again, she said it, she said it, she said,” she said. ”

Old women of the Kanda caste tribe are seen as drawing traditional tattooed faces in the Dalimbadi area of ​​Kandhamar region of Odisha. |Photo source: Biswaranjan Rout

Early on, the Kanda girl experienced facial tattoos when she was close to 10 years old. The tattoo follows a uniform pattern that covers all parts of the face.

“I still feel trembling with the memory of that rough process,” said Prespanti Pradhan, a woman from the same village in the 1960s. Specially trained tattoo artists, usually older women, will pierce our skin with needles without pity. Blood can flow down our faces, causing infections that make us swell and unrecognizable for several days. For over a week, we could hardly eat. This will take nearly two months to recover. But, it was a painful torture.

The tattoo tradition originated from a strange practice designed to evade sexual exploitation and gradually evolved into a sign of identity definition in the Kanda community.

What we hear from our ancestors is that exploitation is both blatant and extensive. Kandha community leader and record label Jyotiraj Pradhan said.

“As time goes by, tattoos become a unique symbol of Kanda’s femininity. A woman without a tattoo often struggles to find a groom. Even men believe that a woman without a tattoo cannot really become Kanda,” said Mr Jyotiraj Pradhan.

The silver ring further establishes a woman’s identity. Mr Jyotiraj Pradhan added: “A woman without earrings is considered unmarried, while the typical Kanda ear accessories indicate marital status and strengthen community identity.”

According to Kailash Chandra Dandpat, a well-known civil society leader, who worked with the Kanda community for forty years, and in the mid-1990s, facial tattoo practices for Kanda women began to decline. Mr Dandpat said the transition was driven by a widespread social awareness campaign and continued personal consultation with parents.

“Today, few women under the age of 40 have facial tattoos. Girls are no longer limited to their own homes. They go to school and are no longer bound by this custom.”

“Young men and women are now sculpting tattoos on their bodies to make fashion statements. In this part of the world, tattoos have a tragic history. After 15 to 20 years of history, tattooed women will no longer be seen in Kandhamal. At least traditional tattoos are a good ride for Kandha women.”