Godna, also known as Khoda, is an ancient traditional form of

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...

art originating from the tribal communities of

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating ...

and

Central India Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...

, and present in their

diasporas A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...

. These tattoos are characterized by intricate designs and vivid colors, often depicting elements of nature, mythology, and daily life. They are exclusive to women. Art of Tattooing

History

The art of Godna dates back several centuries and has its roots in the cultural practices of tribal communities in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, and a connection to

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

. It is traditionally practiced by women and often involves passing down techniques and designs through generations, with style differences between cultural groups. Tattooing is found in many Scheduled Tribe groups like Baigas, Oraons, Birhors, Saharias, Asurs, Bhumijas, Mal Paharias, Korwas,

Mundas The Munda people are an Austroasiatic-speaking ethnic group of the Indian subcontinent. They speak Mundari as their native language, which belongs to the Munda subgroup of Austroasiatic languages. The Munda are found mainly concentrated in ...

Santals The Santal (or Santhal) are an Austroasiatic-speaking Munda ethnic group of the Indian subcontinent. Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand and West Bengal in terms of population and are also found in the states of Odisha, Bihar, Assam ...

, Konda Reddis, Khondas, Chenchus, Bharias, Kurumbas,

Irulas Irula, also known as Iruliga'','' are a Dravidian ethnic group inhabiting the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, and parts of Kerala and Karnataka. A scheduled tribe, their population in this region is estimated at around 200,000 people. People of ...

Bondos The Bonda (also known as the Bondo, Bondo Poraja, Bhonda, or Remo) are a Munda ethnic group approximately 12,000 (2011 census) who live in the isolated hill regions of the Malkangiri district of southwestern Odisha, India, near the junction of ...

, Juangs, Mankidias, Sauras, Lodhas, Mudugars, Paniyans, Kattunayakans,

Mannans Mannans are polymers containing the sugar mannose as a principal component. They are a type of polysaccharide found in hemicellulose, a major source of biomass found in higher plants such as softwoods. These polymers also typically contain two o ...

, Muthuvans, Kanikkarans,

Todas The Toda people are a Dravidian ethnic group who live in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. Before the 18th century and British colonisation, the Toda coexisted locally with other ethnic communities, including the Kota, Badaga and K ...

, Bhoksas,

Rajis The Raji people are a community found in Uttarakhand, India and some parts of western Nepal. , the Raji people are classified as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian government's reservation program of positive discrimination. They call themselve ...

, etc. Since certain diaspora were transported to

the Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America to the west, a ...

indentured servants Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract called an "indenture", may be entered voluntarily for a prepaid lump sum, as payment for some good or ser ...

to work on

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

plantations as

coolies Coolie (also spelled koelie, kouli, khuli, khulie, kuli, cooli, cooly, or quli) is a pejorative term used for low-wage labourers, typically those of Indian or Chinese descent. The word ''coolie'' was first used in the 16th century by Europ ...

, there are people of Indian descent in

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

and

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

who carry on the tradition of Godna.

Significance

Bhumijas are noted as believing that their Godna will remain with them spiritually even after they die. Godna can indicate wealth and social status. In Caribbean communities, Godna was mentioned as needed for marriage, and as symbolizing subjugation of a wife to her husband.

Modern Day

Among Baiga women, popularity of Godna is decreasing, due to the pain of getting it. Godna can also be viewed with prejudice by those who perceive it as primitive or antiquated.

Gallery

References

{{Reflist Tattooing traditions Culture of India