Preserving the memory of disappearing civilizations is the noble mission of modern travel photographers. Omar Reda has already traveled half the world, and in his portfolio you can find many pictures of peoples that practically do not interact with the civilized world, keep old customs and traditions and … are gradually dying out. Tharu is a tribe from the foothills of the Himalayas, local women attracted Omar's attention with unusual tattoos that cover their arms and legs.
One of the last women with tattoos in the tribe
Omar Reda is a photographer from Lebanon. By education, he is a designer, since 2005 he has been building a career in major international companies, but in addition to work, he does not forget about his hobby - travel to the lost corners of the planet. Communication with representatives of the Tharu tribe in Nepal was an interesting experience for Omar, most of all he was struck by the tattoos that "adorn" the limbs of elderly women. The tribe itself, which numbered 1.7 million people in 2011, lives in the forests of the Himalayas, leads a lifestyle closed from the outside world, is engaged in agriculture and hunting.
Woman's hands are decorated with tattoos
Omar did not fail to clarify with local women for what purpose they tattooed in their youth. Despite the fact that many tribes have similar customs, the stories of the three tharu women surprised him.
On a woman's legs - a tattoo in the form of socks
The first woman explained to Omar that tharu girls, who were reputed to be beautiful, were taken into sexual slavery in the palace to the royal family. One day, members of the royal family came for a summer vacation to Chitwan, a national park on the territory of which the thara live, then the most beautiful girls were taken into slavery. In order to somehow protect themselves from further encroachments, the rest of the tribe began to apply tattoos to their arms and legs, disfiguring their bodies.
According to one version, such tattoos adorn a woman's body so that it was easier for her to get to heaven.
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According to the second version, tattooing served as a kind of initiation rite for girls. Otherwise, she was simply not considered a full member of society, they did not talk to "clean" girls, they were forbidden to marry, everything that such a girl touched should be destroyed. To socialize, girls had to cover their bodies with tattoos.
According to another version, tattooing is an initiation rite for women.
Omar heard another version. One of the women said that the tattoos did not disfigure the bodies, but, on the contrary, made them even more attractive. She assured the photographer that the soul of a woman with tattoos on her body goes to heaven after death.
According to the third version, a disfigured body will save a woman from sexual slavery
Which of these versions is true is hard to say. It is likely that there is some truth in each of them.
There are only a few women with tattoos left in the Tharu tribe
In addition to Nepal, Omar Reda has already visited Turkey, Tanzania, India and other countries. His photographs have appeared on the covers of such publications as National Geographic, Daily Mail, Buzzfeed and others.
Tharu women tattoo their arms and legs