Dehradun on the Grip of Inking Rhea has various tattoos on her body and today she is getting another one at her favourite tattoo studio, Sam’s Studio. Being a regular customer, Sam and Rhea are talkative as Sam makes the design for an om and shanti to be written on Rhea’s forearm. Her mother who has also come to watch, is teased by her daughter. Rhea tells her mother that she is getting a tattoo done on center of her forehead. Her mother is consoled after a good laugh. Rhea’s mother tells me that the first tattoo her daughter made was behind her back, when she had gone for a modeling shoot to Mumbai, but now she doesn’t mind because Rhea’s tattoos are meaningful and beautiful. Like Rhea, many customers at Sam’s studios are regulars. His clientele is large and his tattoo studio sees all sorts of people, from navy sailors and artists to students and lovers. A little further down the road tucked away in Indira market is Bindass Tattoos, owned by Pankaj Gulati. He also does good business averaging two to three customers a day. The walls of Bindass Tattoos are covered with his work - tigers, birds, bracelets, dragons, symbols of peace and names of loved ones. Photo Caption: A bhakt of Shivaji from Maharasthra wanted a tattoo of his guru. Pankaj said he really enjoyed the depth of the thought behind the tattoo and also enjoyed making it. But if you think that only male artists dominate tattoo studios in Dehradun then you are mistaken. Nandini, a newbie to town has set up her own studio in Jakhan just recently, Inksanity Tattoo studio. She learnt her skill in New Delhi and is now attempting to sustain her own studio here. She says that she has tattooed around 10 people in Dehradun and shows me her original design for her next customer due the following morning. Her job will not be easy, because there are at least 10 full fledged tattoo studios in Dehradun now. A recent attempt by tattoo artist Gaurave Sarwara, who had opened up a studio in Silvercity Mall by the name of Guava Tattoo Studios, shut down within two months due to lack of clientele. Tattoos have a long history dating over 5000 years, to the 4th millennium BC. In India many tribal cultures such as the Wancho Naga’s of North East India wore their tattoos with pride and honour. Only those men of their tribe could get a tattoo when he had excelled against an enemy in battle. Others, such as the Khonds, a tribe from Orissa would tattoo women on accomplishments in life. In the hills of Uttarakhand many villagers have tattoos still made by the traditional methods. Today single-use needles, insistence on wearing protective gloves and using organic colours are some of the concerns of both the artists and the clients. Pankaj Gulati expresses his concern about local artists who come to town during local melas. These artists, he says, re-use needles increasing the chance of infection and their tattoo designs are clearly half-hearted. Removal of tattoos is expensive and it is a long procedure, so people opt for cover ups. While for a tattoo artist this is a business opportunity and a means of creative fulfillment, for the clients it is an emotional adventure, giving the ink more value than just pigmentation in the dermis layer of the skin. Shrishti Sinha, who works as Public Relations agent, has six tattoos. “All of my tattoos have a story or reason. I did a lot of research before getting my tattoos.” On asking her if a person’s immediate perception of her has changed because of the tattoos? “Not much really. People knew me as a rebellious person before as well but the tattoos were shocking for them. One teenage guy asked me to participate in Roadies after he saw my first tattoo. But for me tattoos are an art, gutsy art and not anything random. I idolize Kat Von D and I wish to have a tattoo made by her.” Swati Kaushal has a bird tattoo. She says, “For me a bird represents freedom and that’s all I want in my life. My parents came to know of it seven months later. My father was cool with it but my mother freaked out and asked me to remove it. Now she is cool with it.” Siddharth Marwaha is a science student and plans to get a tattoo. On asking him his reason for wanting one, “I don’t know why I want one. Maybe because it looks cool. Such a stupid reason though. But it won’t be anytime soon, I was thinking about a Japanese mafia tattoo starting from the chest all the way to half of the arm, it will be expensive.” But is you think that only the young get themselves inked to show defiance or freedom, a way of rebellion, then you are mistaken. A female teacher from the Doon Valley mentions how she knows at least 10 teachers with tattoos, teachers varying from science and Math’s teacher to English and Physical Education teachers. But she adds, “Schools frown on tattoos and would not hire a teacher if the tattoo is visible because for them it is the symbol of a bohemian lifestyle.” When asked why many female teachers get a tattoo? “It really depends on the age and the influences around. But since women of the upper strata are also teaching, apart from being a fashion statement many modern women find it to be synonymous with freedom.” Today inking a tattoo is an art form, demanding attention from both fans and critics alike. In an age where artists such as middle class painters are struggling to sustain themselves, tattoo artists are redefining themselves to the modern world. Now all I have to do is to save up a lot of money, choose a design and get a tattoo for myself. Any suggestions?
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 07:15:15 +0000
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