Tattoos. What do you Think

[mblova]

Well, first off i would like to say "Thank you" to everybody who has contributed to the "What caste are you?" Thread. Reading the replies has been very educating. I am Back again to start another Hot topic.

What do you guys think of tattoos on Hindus? Are they allowed, are they not allowed. What if the tattoo is a religious symbol? What if it is not a religious symbol?

I am looking for your guys opinions based on the texts of Hinduism and what the general view on tattoos in Hinduism is.

[satay]

namaste,
As far as I know, tattoos are definitely allowed in the indian society. I know several men and women who have tattoos and most importantly these people are in their 50's. One told me that he got his tattoo of OM on his hand when he was a kid, the other woman has her husband's name tattoo'ed on her arm.

tattoos, no problem. for the faint of heart, use mehindi instead.

I personally don't believe in either i.e. no tattoos or mehindi for me...besides mehindi seems to be only for girls in india though I have seen some men wearing it too...also using to color their hair!

[satay]

I am glad to hear that. For me, tattoos and mendhi are very spiritual things. I have three tattoos-a prayer feather, turtles of me and my kids climbing to a moon with an Om in it. I only go get one when I feel the time is right and I have a purpose for it. It has a lot of meaning for me and the whole process for me is very spiritual for a variety of reasons that I wont go into here since it is more Native American than Hindu. I like Mendhi too. I just loves tattoos, I suppose because I love symbolism.

neat.

I am very interested to learn more about Native American tradition as am sure other members as well. I sometimes see the ceremonies that some native groups hold. It looks very spiritual. There is a divine spirit (?) and dancing, invoking, praying to the spirit (?) are common activities?

You could post under other dharma traditions, if you decide to share something about this.

...and yes...it is mendhi, I had the wrong spelling!

[Agnideva]

What do you guys think of tattoos on Hindus? Are they allowed, are they not allowed. What if the tattoo is a religious symbol? What if it is not a religious symbol?

I am looking for your guys opinions based on the texts of Hinduism and what the general view on tattoos in Hinduism is.

I've always liked tattoos, I have no problem with them, even if they are not religious symbols. I used to want one in my younger days, I still might get one someday if I feel bold enough, who knows? . I even saw several tattoos on a Hindu priest in the city where I used to live. He had tattoos of OM and Rama written in Devanagari on his arms. There are also Hindu tribes that use tattoos as an initiation. There is a tribe called Ramnamis who etch the name of Rama, for example.

Obviously, there are many distasteful tattoos too. Many times, I think people get tattoos when they are young which they later regret getting. I know you can have it removed through laser surgery, but it's better to really consider if the tattoo you really want is something you're willing to live with for life. If you're thinking of getting a tattoo, make sure to do some research about the tattoo parlor. There are many cases of people getting hepatitis C from the tattoo needles. Make sure they use sterile needles.

[mblova]

I've always liked tattoos, I have no problem with them, even if they are not religious symbols. I used to want one in my younger days, I still might get one someday if I feel bold enough, who knows? . I even saw several tattoos on a Hindu priest in the city where I used to live. He had tattoos of OM and Rama written in Devanagari on his arms. There are also Hindu tribes that use tattoos as an initiation. There is a tribe called Ramnamis who etch the name of Rama, for example.

Obviously, there are many distasteful tattoos too. Many times, I think people get tattoos when they are young which they later regret getting. I know you can have it removed through laser surgery, but it's better to really consider if the tattoo you really want is something you're willing to live with for life. If you're thinking of getting a tattoo, make sure to do some research about the tattoo parlor. There are many cases of people getting hepatitis C from the tattoo needles. Make sure they use sterile needles.

The Ramnamis Tribe only did this because when the caste system was at its height, they were known as untouchables. The began to practice rituals that irked the Brahmin community, and to protect themselves spiritually from the Brahmins they began the practice to tattooing Rama.

These are all very good answers.

BUT i am looking for any specific instances in the texts, any citations where tattoos are not accepted or where there are instances of individuals having tattoos being accepted not only by society but by religious figures.

I am looking to get one and am conducting my research at the moment and will continue to do so for a while before i get one.

[Agnideva]

Namaste Mblova,

The Ramnamis Tribe only did this because when the caste system was at its height, they were known as untouchables. The began to practice rituals that irked the Brahmin community, and to protect themselves spiritually from the Brahmins they began the practice to tattooing Rama.

This is absolutely true. The brahmins of the area even took them to court during the British Raj to prevent them from tattooing the word Rama. The judge fortunately decided that if Rama is indeed the name of God, all people had the right to use it.

BUT i am looking for any specific instances in the texts, any citations where tattoos are not accepted or where there are instances of individuals having tattoos being accepted not only by society but by religious figures.

Hmm, I’m not sure if tattooing is mentioned in any texts, but would be interesting to find out if it is.

Regards,
A.

[mblova]

Nobody else? Im just looking for some evidence in the texts and scriptures.

[sm78]

Nobody else? Im just looking for some evidence in the texts and scriptures.

Not sure if tattoos were available during Treta yuga

[Agnideva]

Not sure if tattoos were available during Treta yuga

. Well, what about texts written in the Kaliyuga?

[Zardozi]

I dont see anything wrong with tattoos that are nothing short of excellant work. I got 3 tattoo's. 1 on each shoulder and an inverted triangluar shape on my high back. They all represent a time in my life when I thought of something as forever.

BTW, Does anyone have a link to something that shows the word "Hai" in Hindi written language? Thats gonna be my last tattoo.