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Our body is ours, and no one else’s –– no one else’s to opine upon, pass judgements on or take control of. Some may choose to conceal, and some may reveal; some may leave the skin bare while some mark it permanently –– we’re here to hear stories of the latter.
We wanted to understand just why people choose to ink their bodies forever –– does something special, deeply personal or of extreme importance bring about the idea? Or is it simply one of those ‘I-wanted-to-so-I-did’ situations? With this confusion in mind, we asked Homegrown’s readers a question that would help clarify things for us, and provide stories (and maybe motivation) for you: What is the story behind your first tattoo?
A word about our responses:
- The age group of our respondents ranged from 20-24 years old.
- Most of our respondents were from Bengaluru and New Delhi. Others were from Indian regions like Kochi, Gurgaon and Goa. We also received responses from Matale, Sri Lanka.
- All our respondents consented to their names and pictures being used for the purpose of this article.
- For qualitative purposes, the respondents were not forced to choose from just a selection of options and were allowed to give us insight in their own words.
The Big ‘Why’
- 12.5% of respondents got tattooed simply because, well, tattoos are cool.
- 25% of respondents did it to rebel against a norm.
- 25% of them were encouraged by people in their lives.
- Certain life events led 37.5% of our respondent to ink themselves.
Jyoshima Kandir from Delhi was bullied for almost a decade of her schooling life. To remind her of her strength and ability to overcome the harsh times, she got ‘Tout era bien’ (French for ‘Everything will be fine’) tattooed. She says, “Whenever I feel low or get flashbacks, I just go to my mirror and stare at my tattoo on my shoulder blade which is a mark that reminds me that I have made it so far, and that I can make it once again.”
The act of rebellion is a strong motivation when it comes to tattoos. Riya Chauhan from Gurgaon and Johny from Kochi bring us the same energy in their responses –– Riya says, “The motivation to rebel against my parents was pretty strong,” and Johny says, “Elders in the family always say tattoos on your body are your entry to hell. Well, that triggered to get myself one.”
22-year-old Nirikshaa Muralidhar’s mother, unlike most Indian mothers, once said to her, “I think you should get a tattoo done, it would look nice,” and that was it –– motivation enough to ink herself.
Along the same lines, Dilshan from Matale, Sri Lanka was inspired by his grandmother –– “My grandmother was the first person I saw with a tattoo and it looked really cool on her. From that day onwards, I had always wanted to get one.”
Up For A Do-Over?
- All our respondents agreed that they would get their first tattoo now if they had not before.
- Of them, 25% would want to slightly alter it.
“I believe that if left untamed, even our sound mind can go crazy –– the motivation you need in order to stay sane is what my tattoo provides me,” says 20-year-old Aryan Srivastava from New Delhi.
While Aryan’s tattoo gives him something to hold on to, Ankit from Goa tells us about his tattoo’s symbolism. The motivation behind each tattoo may differ from person to person, but it never diminishes in value. Ankit points out aptly, “My tattoos have always been more symbolic than anything else. Say, tomorrow, I don’t agree with the ideologies I believe in today, it doesn’t mean I dislike all the ideologies of my past. In many senses, they are what made the person I am today.”
Your Skin, Your Canvas
- All our respondents radiate the energy of ‘Your body, your choice’!
We couldn’t be happier as we read the responses to our question of whether one should have the freedom to mark their skin as they wish –– our respondents’ understanding of ‘personal choice’ impressed us.
“It’s a beautiful way of expressing oneself. One should be free to wear what they like, get as many piercing, tattoos or cheesecakes. As long as it doesn’t harm anyone physically,” says Riya (we truly appreciate the addition of cheesecakes).
On a more serious note, Jyoshima opines, “I think it’s high time to accept people for who they are, for how they look or for their choices in life. If one wants their skin to be a canvas to express or to feel confident, so be it. We have always been asked to keep shut because of others. So, let my skin speak at least.” There are only so many ways society may be able to silence you, right?
23-year-old Rohit Krishnamurthy from Bengaluru gives us a slightly different perspective and says, “I think the ones who do get tattoos are the most creative –– their tattoos have more depth and meaning.”
We know that tattoos are yet to gain complete acceptance in India –– funny, since many Indian tribes consider tattoos a part of their culture. However, tattoos or anything you choose to mark yourself with remains your decision. Apart from a lifelong memory etched into your skin, you also have a story to tell people!
Read about one such tribe from Nagaland, here.
There could be nothing better than the response we received from Ankit to close this chapter: “Not just as a canvas, but your body is your body, and you should always have the first and last say with it –– Tattoos or otherwise.”
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