Condha tribal tribal old woman can be seen together with her granddaughter when she painted their traditional tattoos in the face, which ended in the Daringbadi area in the Kandhamal district in Odisha. | PHOTO CREDIT: BISWARANJAN ROUTE
In his 1970s, the Supojini Pradhan walks on the dusty stripes of the village of Kutabadi in the district of Odisha, the righteous skin of her face barely visible under the complex pattern of deep black tattoos. Mrs. Sujojini Pradhan is one of the last tribal women Kandha, who carried these distinctive brands of faces, which is a disappearing tradition rooted in the dark past. For generations, women tattooed their faces with sharp geometric patterns – not as an ornament, but as a form of protection. Their intention was to look less attractive to escape sexual exploitation by landlords, local royal and British colonizers.
Now, as Modernity penetrates the Kandhamal hills, young girls have ended practice and Mrs. Sujojini Pradhan is happy that the painful tradition is not transferred to the next generation.
Also read: Justice still escapes Kandhamal
“God gave each of us a beautiful face. We have no right to disfigure her. But the tradition was stored on us and we didn’t have little choice, but listening to our older. Maybe I could erase all my tattoos and saw it in its natural, untouched form.
Condha Caste Tribal Old Women are seen when they painted their traditional tattoos in the face, which ended in the Daringbadi area in the Kandhamal district in Odisha. | PHOTO CREDIT: BISWARANJAN ROUTE
In earlier times, Girls Kandha was exposed to face tattoos as they approached the age of 10 years. The tattoo was followed by a single formula and covered all parts of the face.
“It is still trembling the memory of the rough process,” says Premantiz Pradhan, a woman in the sixties from the same village. “Specially trained tattoo artists, usually older women, would penetrate our skin with needles, show no mercy. Blood would run down our faces and the resulting infections swollen and unrecognizable for days.
The tattoo tradition was created as a bizarre practice to escape sexual exploitation and gradually develop into the defining brand identity for the Kandha community.
“We have heard from our ancestors that the exploitation was both obvious and widespread. The kings and later the British had a tax tender and informants in most villages. These informants would report when the girl began. attacked, to Fours, in order to see that she would be in attacking that she would attack, a fousy that would be of hope of hoping to get into Fous, that he would get into Zou that he would get into hope would get into the evidence. Dirty.
“Over time, the tattoo has become a clear symbol of Kandha’s femininity. A woman without a tattoo often tried to find a groom. Even men believed that a woman without a tattoo couldn’t really be Kandha,” said Mr. Jyotij Pradhan.
The identity of the woman was further introduced by silver rings decorated with the whole edge of the ear. “A woman without rings of ears was considered unmarried, while typical ornaments on the ear Kandha meant a family condition and strengthened the identity of the community,” added Mr. Jyoti Pradhan.
According to Kailash Chandra Dandpat, a prominent civil society leader who has worked with the Kandha community for more than four decades, the practice of face tattoos has begun in the mid -90s. This shift, Mr. Dandpat said, was powered by widespread campaigns for social awareness and maintained individual counseling with his parents.
“Today, it is rare to find women under 40 years old with face tattoo. Girls are no longer limited to their homes. They attend school and are no longer subject to this practice,” Mr. Dandpat said.
“Young men and women are now carving tattoos on their bodies to make fashion statements. In this part of the world they have a tattoo tragic history. After 15 to 20 years, tattooed women would no longer be seen in Kandhamal. At least traditional tattoos are for Kandha women,” another woman, another woman.
Published – May 17, 2025 17:58
