The practice of tattooing is widely prevalent across Chhattisgarh. It is a form of body art practiced mostly by women on women, mainly amongst adivasi and ‘lower’ caste communities from this region. The word used for this practice is godna, which refers to the piercing of the body with needles. The tattoos serve varying functions- seen as markers of social identity, they are equally a form of bodily adornment that outlives death. Sometimes they signify rites of passage- the sita rasoi motif is tattooed on women as they prepare to enter a life of domesticity.
This video is a conversation between Mushtak Khan and Godna artist Kamal Mandavi Ojha.
This content has been created as part of a project commissioned by the Directorate of Culture and archaeology, Government of Chhattisgarh to document the cultural and natural heritage of the state of Chhattisgarh.
