Faith engraved: Delhi tattoo artist says Lord Shiva, Ganesha and Hanuman most popular among tourists
Matthew Gordon, the Australian tourist who along with his girlfriend, was allegedly harassed at a restaurant in Bengaluru by right-wing elements who objected to a tattoo of a Hindu goddess on the man's leg, is hardly the only tourist to have a Hindu deity tattooed on his person. Lokesh Verma, founder, Devil'z Tattoo, one of New Delhi's most popular tattoo chains, said that his studios receive plenty of travellers, who want religious tattoos to "express affection or pay tribute to Hinduism".
"Many wan tattoos on their shin or some part of their lower body, as they already have tattoos on their upper body," said Verma. "We have to advise them that it could be a problem in India, as the lower body isn't seen as sacred. I don't agree with it personally, and I think people should be able to decide for themselves, as a tattoo is a strong expression of your beliefs."
India is not the only place where the what one has inked where could land one in trouble. Verma describes how a friend of his with Buddha tattooed on his back almost got beaten up on a beach near Colombo.
"Foreigners agree to conform, as all they want to do is pay tribute in the best manner possible," adds Verma. Gordon too expressed the same sentiment in a Facebook post after the incident, where he claimed to have got Yellamma and Ganesha tattoos because of his respect for Hinduism.
Foreigners with a penchant for the exotic apart, plenty of Indians go in for such tattoos, albeit on the upper body. "After family, religion is the most common basis for a tattoo. Half of the tattoos we make are of gods," says Verma, adding that the trend started almost a decade ago when Sanjay Dutt got a Shiva tattoo, and most Indian men followed suit. "Shiva is the coolest. Else it's Ganesha, Hanuman, Om, shlokas or mantras."
The reasons are plenty; some kids see it as a compromise with parents who would disapprove other tattoos, some follow celebrities, some want to express strong religious beliefs, sometimes, very strong ones. "After the Uttarakhand floods, these college educated twenty somethings were got inked in my studio, with religious tattoos. They discussed how the floods were caused by a Shiva statue being removed from its designated spot."
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