Stories Written on Skin Are Fading From Madhya Pradesh
A centuries-old cultural tradition practiced by tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh is slowly disappearing, as younger generations abandon traditional tattooing practices once central to identity, belief, and social life.
Among communities such as the Baiga and Gond, tattoos—locally known as godna—were historically considered more valuable than jewellery or clothing. Unlike ornaments that could be lost or stolen, tattoos were believed to remain with a person even after death.
Each tattoo carried social and spiritual meaning
Traditionally, each tattoo carried social and spiritual meaning.Specific patterns indicated clan identity, marital status, or devotion to forest deities. In many areas, tattooing was also believed to protect the wearer from illness and negative forces.
“Tattoos were our identity. They told people who we were and where we came from,” said a 72-year-old Baiga woman from Mandla district.
Activists cite multiple reasons for the decline
Anthropologists and local activists cite multiple reasons for the decline like the increased migration to towns and cities, social stigma attached to visible tribal markers, school and workplace discouragement of traditional body markings and the decline in the number of trained traditional tattoo artists
In several villages surveyed across Mandla and Dindori districts, elders say no girls under the age of 20 have undergone traditional tattooing.
Many traditional tattoo artists have abandoned the practice
Traditional tattoo artists, once respected figures in the community, are now finding no successors. With minimal income and little recognition, many have abandoned the practice altogether.
“There is no one left to teach,” said a former tattoo artist from Dindori. “Young people don’t want to learn something they think has no future.
Documentation alone cannot keep the tradition alive
Some non-governmental organisations and researchers have begun documenting tattoo patterns through photographs, drawings, and digital archives. However, cultural experts argue that documentation alone cannot keep the tradition alive.
“A living tradition survives only when it is practiced,” said a cultural researcher working in central India. “Once it stops being part of daily life, it becomes museum."
Authentic tribal tattoo traditions of Madhya Pradesh could vanish
Unlike language loss or monument damage, the disappearance of tribal tattoos has drawn little public attention. Experts warn that without intervention or renewed community interest, authentic tribal tattoo traditions of Madhya Pradesh could vanish within a generation.
For now, the fading ink on aging skin remains one of the last visible links to a cultural heritage that once defined entire communities.
By ANASUYA ROY