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Body piercings and tattoos may seem like modern trends to us, but for the Apatani women of Arunachal Pradesh, such decorations have been a crucial part of their tradition for centuries.
Story of Apatani Tribe
Beyond the famous decorations of the Apatani women, lies a lesser-known story of beauty, pain and identity. Many, many years ago, there existed several rival tribes in the Ziro Valley, and the Apatanis were one of them. There were frequent raids and violence was common. Of all the tribes, the Apatani women were considered the most beautiful and they were heavily targeted by the men of rival tribes. During the raids, rival tribesmen would kidnap the Apatani women and once they fell into enemy hands, the women were never seen or heard of again. This became a prime concern for the Apatani tribe. How can they conceal the beauty of their women? Eventually, the elders came up with a peculiar solution.
It was decided that once an Apatani woman hit puberty, her face would be inked and her nose would be plugged. This, they believed, would make the women undesirable and unattractive to the men of the rival tribes. As painful as the process was, the result was exactly as the elders had hoped. The Apatani women were no longer considered the most beautiful or attractive, and were hence, free from the terror of the tribal raiders. Over time, these tattoos and piercings became a marker of identity for the entire Apatani tribe.
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