In the remote village of Lalpur, tucked away in the forests of central India, the sounds of tattoo needles and the hum of tradition persist. At the forefront of this fading art form is Mangala Bai, one of the last living practitioners of Baiga tattooing—a practice that is deeply tied to the Baiga tribe’s identity, spirituality, and survival.
As India’s indigenous traditions face growing threats of cultural erasure, Mangala Bai is not just preserving an art form; she is safeguarding the very essence of her people.
A Tradition Passed Down Through Generations
Mangala Bai was born into the Baiga tribe, a forest-dwelling Adivasi community in Madhya Pradesh, where tattooing, known as Godna, is both a ritual and a record of one’s identity. For the Baiga, tattoos are more than adornment; they are a map of belonging, a testament to their spiritual beliefs, and a marker of survival.
Growing up, Mangala watched her mother tattoo the women of the village. By the age of seven, she was already practicing the art herself, and by eleven, she was representing Baiga tattooing in national exhibitions. Today, Mangala is bringing her people’s tradition to the world stage, most recently through a global exhibition at the University of Sydney.
“When I take this tradition abroad, I hope it will inspire pride in my people’s identity,” Mangala reflects, seated outside her mud home, the quiet of the village around her.
A Tradition in Decline
However, Mangala’s hope for global recognition contrasts with a painful reality in her own community: the Baiga tattooing tradition is quickly fading.
In Baiga settlements across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, fewer young girls are choosing to get traditional tattoos. Parents, fearful that their children will face bullying or be labeled as “primitive,” discourage the practice. The pull of modernity—rooted in both survival and social aspiration—has led many to abandon their ancestral customs.
“Girls now want to look modern,” Mangala says. “They’re ashamed of what once made us proud.”
Despite her pivotal role in preserving Baiga tattooing, Mangala receives no formal government support. She has never received grants or housing assistance, despite being one of the last living links to this cultural tradition. With the help of her assistant, Amit Sharma, Mangala is working to document the techniques and teach them to a shrinking group of learners. Without new practitioners, the art form faces the risk of extinction.
More Than Art: Baiga Tattoos as Metaphysical Marks
Baiga tattoos are not merely decorative; they are an embodiment of the tribe’s spiritual beliefs and their connection to nature. Each tattoo tells a story—whether of a life stage, a spiritual belief, or a relationship with the natural world. For the Baiga, tattoos are believed to accompany the soul into the afterlife, making them one of the few possessions that endure beyond death.
“The moment the ink stops, the identity disappears,” Mangala explains. Each design, whether a scorpion, a tree, or a geometric shape, carries deep meaning tied to resilience and cosmology.
From Lalpur to the World: The Global Spotlight on Baiga Art
Mangala Bai’s art has now found an international audience. Her participation in exhibitions across the world has brought attention to Baiga tattooing among scholars, anthropologists, and collectors. But despite the growing admiration abroad, Mangala’s efforts remain largely ignored by her own government.
In an era where indigenous identity is often reduced to tourist attractions or commercialized handicrafts, Mangala’s tattoos stand as a profound act of cultural preservation.
Her work is not driven by nostalgia, but by a mission to ensure that future generations of Baiga children will recognize the strength in their cultural heritage, rather than feel shame for it.
Cultural Defiance in the Face of Modernity
As India continues its rapid economic and social transformation, traditions like Godna face a daunting threat: becoming irrelevant. But for Mangala Bai, that is not a foregone conclusion. Each tattoo she creates is an act of defiance, a declaration that heritage matters—not as a relic of the past, but as a living tradition to be carried forward.
Mangala may be one of the last Baiga tattoo artists, but she is determined that her people’s identity will not fade with her. Every design she inks is a pledge to ensure the art form survives, preserving the spirit of the Baiga tribe for generations to come.
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