Kusha Kalra
My encounter with tattoos has been since I was a child. Watching the symbol of Om on my dad’s hand was one of the religious practices in their times.
Growing up, I never imagined how getting inked would become an integral part of my life someday.
As they say, with art, there are no mistakes, but just happy accidents.
One such happy accident occurred with me at Juhu Beach in Mumbai, where a lady with flash designs sat alongside the beach. I got a tattoo done by her, which turned out to be a drawing done by a 6-year-old.
I never managed to find a picture of that tattoo. Still, it is etched in my heart forever, as it began a beautiful journey for me with tattoos.
This picture (above) has so many memories attached to it. Since it is officially my first tattoo, which I got done as a cover-up for the tattoo done at the beach circa 2016-17
We all remember our first kiss, but this one is much more special as it brings memories of pain, pleasure, and a gorgeous splash of colors of the butterfly, which for me symbolized letting go of the old version of me that served no purpose for the future!
So, the journey that started at a snail’s pace was a stepping stone to a roller coaster journey in my life, relationships, and family!
That feeling of being able to bear the pain and build resilience was truly empowering from within. It was a sense of accomplishment!! And before I could even realize it, it had become part of my yearly resolution to get a tattoo each year.
And so I was back again!!
It was 5pm on a cold winter evening in February 2018 when we started another tattoo ~ Heart with Crown, that shows that Love cannot be found outside in another human being.
This one was designed on my left forearm for a reason.. that is unknown to many!
This was when I became free from giving myself to those who no longer deserve my love.
This was also a huge turning point in my life as I started changing my parents and my family’s mindset about my inclination towards tattoos and making bigger and bolder decisions for my life and business.
I believe the first mantra to achieve something is to be detached. To be strong enough to risk your certain present for the uncertain possibilities that the future could offer. And finally, I was ready for all the options coming my way.
The overall meaning and characteristics of the subjects I wanted on my skin were important, and I wanted to ensure they resonated with my life experiences.
Keeping my yearly resolution of getting inked, I reached out to my artist, and after multiple discussions and research, we finalized White Tara as the subject for my sleeve.
With my past experience, I had complete trust and confidence in my artist, which allowed him to use his creativity and free will and led to a great partnership with a beautiful rendition of the white Tara tattoo that is mine to keep forever!
White Tara, also called “the Mother of all Buddhas, “ perfectly embodies graceful power, wisdom, and purity. White Tara is always depicted sitting in the lotus position with the soles of her feet pointing upward.
Sometimes, the White Tara is called “the Goddess of Seven Eyes” because she is also depicted with eyes on her hands and feet in addition to the third eye. This represents White Tara seeing all human suffering and encourages the devotees to develop vigilance and sensitivity to the energy in and around them.
The entire process was a transfer of energy, so it helped heal the parts of me rooted deep inside and hurting me!.
All this is to say that tattooing was a catalyst in my healing. Healing from the shame I felt for my own body since childhood due to society and family wanting us to look a certain way or, at times, experiencing subtle body shaming.
Getting tattooed helped me to start loving myself the way I am and not try to fit in and do things to please others.
We started this piece in early 2020, but during COVID-19, we took a break of 6 months and finished the entire sleeve in April 2021.
The yearly resolution now became a monthly visit to the studio, and the scabbing and shedding of skin after each session led to releasing all the negative emotions, which were full of anger, feeling overwhelmed, guilt, and not feeling worthy of love and affection. It also taught me that the pain I went through during each session was making me resilient, bold, and confident to face the world in my true and authentic self without looking for validation from my external environment.
As much as tattoos are taboo in India, women carrying large-scale work is still not something you often see here on the streets.
Initially, my family members were unsupportive and disliked the sight of ink on my arm. But by the end, they praised the artistic skills that created this beautiful masterpiece.
Things changed; people would look at it, ask the most cliché questions of pain, price, and duration, and then forget all the questions and admire the piece.
We have a long way to go to accept large-scale traditional tattooing in India. However, the spark has been lit, and it is only through creating examples like myself we can support or preserve this art form. Only when people go through the experience of getting inked might they understand how tattoos hold the power to transform lives.
I greatly respect and admire this art form and the community of artists who put their heart and soul into creating these magical masterpieces. The magic of tattoos is unique to its style as it involves working on a living, breathing soul, not just plain canvas.
Eternally grateful and indebted to my artist for this piece of art on my skin. And this is not the end but the beginning of a lifelong journey of tattoos.
