The Divine Pain

Tattoo with pain comes in a package, but beauty is divine

From the days of the late great Babu Raja Pradhan ‘Budha’ to Mohan Gurung to the third generation of tattoo artists, the whole inking scenario has adopted numerous changes. There’s a healthy rise in people, especially youths who long to get shades of black that are more artistic than moles and there are some who wouldn’t mind having a more lively colorful body. Nevertheless, you still got to be wary of some apathetic elements who could greet a tattooed person with a frown.

The history of inking one’s body dates back well over 5000 years and is as diverse as people who wear them. Tattooing has been a part of Eurasian history for a very long time. The word ‘tattoo’ is believed to have two major derivations; Polynesian word ‘Ta’ which means to strike something and Tahitian word ‘Tatau’ which means to mark. Tattoos are encrypted into the body by continuously striking one or more pointed objects dipped in little tubs of colored ink through the skin to produce a form of permanent art.

Tattoos have always had its significance in rituals and traditions all over the world. They have also identified membership in a clan or society throughout history. There are numerous myths related to tattoos in Nepal as well. One of them states, having tattoos wards away illness and evil spirits that lurks to cause you harm. However, in the present day context, the mythical belief may not be the only valid reason to subscribe to getting a tattoo done. These days, people carry their own perception and have their own story behind every piece of permanent art on their body.

Having a tattoo includes sheer responsibility. It would be wise to take time to decide what you’d want to have in your body and it is highly advised to get the art done by a professional despite the higher charges. After all, there’s no turning back once the process have started.

As you stroll around the streets of Kathmandu, Thamel and Basantapur more precisely, you will come across many tattoo studios. People having their body parts covered in ink are not a matter of rare sighting at all these days. Contradictory to the past where having tattoos were regarded as inappropriate and in many cases hated by the elderly members of the society, the point of view towards tattooing is gradually changing. Youngsters and even elderly people have started developing keen interest over tattoos.

Personally speaking, maiden tattooing experience for me was the toughest. The first sighting of the approach of the needle firmly fixed to the tattoo machine as it moved towards the skin was nerve wrecking. To add misery to the fear, the sense of pain that was already glued in my mind was accompanied by the loud trilling shudder produced by the solid bodied mechanism roaring in panic in my mind. It made me want to take my decision on getting the tattoo back. After the pain and tolerance, came the tougher part, the aftermath, this is where you have to take care of the inked skin like a newly born infant or else the consequences could turn out unappealing .This could take you from three days to two weeks, depending upon the size and the details filled in. You ought to take heed to the instructions and also follow the advice the artist discusses with you before they bid you farewell until you visit them for another round of skin encryption.

Sandeep Maharjan, who happens to be amongst the third generation of tattoo artists of Nepal, claims to have started using body as a blank canvas for quite some time. His work is highly appreciated by his canvassed clients, especially by those who come from Patan. During his course of incisive penetrating the needle to one of his recent customer, Bhusan Dangol complained of the intense pain during his first session, “The pain is simply overwhelming. I’ve seen a lot of people flaunting their tattoos but I’d never imagined it’d be such a sweating experience. But I’ve heard nothing but praises of Sandeep’s work. I think the result will be worth the pain. I will rest assured”.

A few chowks away from Sandeep’s Tattoo parlor, Bajra Tattoo stands Traditional tattoo in an immensely popular alley known for the variety of Newari cuisines and sweets in the heart of Lalitpur, Mangalbazar. It relatively is a newer name but has won innumerous hearts. Like the name suggests, traditional tattoo is amongst the best if you’re looking forward to getting a traditional or religious art.
Moving towards more mainstream areas, Thamel and Basantapur, you wouldn’t want to miss out names like Mohan’s Tattoo Inn, whose artists are regarded as the pioneers of modern day commercial tattoos. Jads tattoo, the immensely talented duo of Sudeep (aka Aath number) and John Maharjan who’ve accomplished intense heights of stardom amongst tattoo fanatics and there’s Tiki jhyaa studio in Jhochhen, aka as freak street where Sabita Maharjan, has been tattooing permanent joys to her customers with her talent.

“Quality and hygiene should complement each other. Ending up with skin allergies and other skin irritation would be a major disaster and could lead into ending up our careers for good. There are some who in their developmental period work the wrong way knowing or unknowingly but most of the professionals use colors extracted from nature”, says John Maharjan. He adds, “When I started tattooing, there were hardly any tattoo studios in Thamel, so were people with interest in getting tattoos done. Time was different back then. These days, everyone wants a piece of art on their body. People come for small pieces of art now and then but what I’d personally suggest is to get a bigger tattoo rather than having bits and pieces everywhere on the body”.

And then there’s the maestro, the name taken with the highest level of respect in this particular scenario—Mohan Gurung. A man whose appearance alone could inspire you to getting your body tattooed. Having started tattooing back in 1992 from Korea, Gurung is yet to take formal tattooing lessons but this does not stop him from producing the best pieces of art you would find anywhere in the country. He says, “I never intended to start tattooing professionally. I, like any other street artist, would tattoo my friends and their friends just for the sake of spending time. Days went by just like that until one fine day I thought of giving it a try professionally”.

Talking about post tattoo care, he said, “Everyone has their own concepts, artists in different countries have their own ways of keeping the art safe and long lasting. In the context of Nepal, especially Kathmandu valley, these, I think would work out best:

Keep the tattoo covered with plastic foil for 6 hours as soon as the tattooing process is complete.

After 6 hours wash the tattoo gently with clean water and lather of antiseptic soap.

Pat the inked skin with a tissue paper or clean towel and cover it up with plastic again to protect from sun, water and dust particles.
Use petroleum jelly or tattoo ointment as recommended by the artist on a regular basis

Keep it covered for the next 36 hours and protect from direct sunlight for the next 3-6 months depending on the size.”