Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 33
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Previous | Next

Page 224
________________ 220 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [SEPTEMBRE, 1904. 8. In this way from head to foot writes out, Odear one, the innumerable names known in the world. 4. Oh Tattooer! get my body tattooed (with) the dark blue colour of Sri Kțisboa. Classes that Tattoo - Tattooing is practically confined to Hindus and the jungle tribes; the lower classes of the former and all the latter decorating themselves profusely in this manner. The higher classes of Hindus are employing tattooing more and more sparingly I am told, and the designs are not only less numerous but also drawn on a smaller scale. As regards the sexes, men are practically never tattooed in Bundelkhand, the Eastern Section ; it is less uncommon in Mälava ; and quite common among the wild tribes. But even when men are tattooed, they are less profusely adorned with marks than women are. I am told that the Gablot Rājputs (of Bhopal) have a clan device, but I have been unable to verify this. I have come across no instance of the use of tattooing to mark male puberty, nor have I been able to trace the least connection between this custom and religion, although it is supposed that women are better fitted to do acts of worship when they have certain marks upon them. The habit is certainly not declining, and new marks are still devised, as, for instance, the "Engine” used by Railway employés. Methods of Tattooing. - (a) General. - Tattooing amongst Hindus is done by the females of the wandering tribes, such as Nats, Dhēds, Kanjars, Banjäras, &c., who make regular cold weather toars. In Bundelkhand Basors and Bhangis are tattooed by Parkis, a degraded caste who can feed with them. Although tattooing is usually done by these tribes, others are by no means prohibited from doing it, but as a rule the skill is lacking. Among the jungle tribes it is done by any old woman of the tribe. In no case is tattooing ever done by men. These professional tattooers on entering a village have a regular cry - "Ohē! Ohē! a lovely scorpion, or beautiful peacock, for a pice, Ohē"! The women-folk at once gather round and trade begins. (6) Process. The instrument used is a bundle of four (or six) needles tied together in the middle, or made into a kind of comb. The jungle tribes often use Bābül (Acacia arabica) thorns instead. The operator, on arrival, shews all her designs, drawing them in lamp-black on the part of the body where they will be stamped. When a design is approved of, it is at once executed. I may mention that it is usual for a young girl to have one device copied from among those her mother wears, but there is no rule whatever as to this, nor does any special significance attach to such a copy. The design selected, the operator seats herself before the patient and draws the device in lamp-black in the proper place. She thon seizes the skin under the design with the left hand and stretches it, and, while doing so, strikes the needles sharply along the lines of the device, dipping them in the pigment each time, and then rabbing more pigment in with her hand, In Bundelkhand, when the design is finished, the operator, in order to avert the evil-eye, takes handful of flour (gram) mixed with salt and casts it into the fire. In these parts it is also considered a good thing that the patient should make her blood circulate briskly; it is said to settle" the design. Poor women are set to grind for half an hour or so, while the rich carry pots of water about. Dieting is not common. I have noted its use in a few individual cases. (6) Pigments. - Various pigments are used, but it may be remarked that only two colours are employed in Central India, blue-black and green; the latter is commonest in Malavă. The darkblack seen in the United Provinces is not met with in Central India. (1) Dharba (Poa cynosuroides) grass juice and turmeric; gives a dark-green colour. Lit., from Dails to hair on the head.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514