Award Winning Tattoo Artist Carries Baiga Tattoo Art From Dindori To The World

Dindori: In the Baiga tribal community, many talented artists have remained unknown due to lack of recognition. While many women stayed confined within their homes, Mangala Bai of Dindori, Madhya Pradesh stood out. Through her dedication and skill, she has taken the traditional art of tattooing not just across India but also to other countries.

A Tradition Passed Down

Mangala Bai hails from Lalpur village near Gadasarai in Dindori district. Her mother, Shanti Bai, was a well-known tattoo artist in the region—famous in Dindori, Mandla, and even parts of Chhattisgarh. After her passing at age 58, her daughters Jamni Bai and Mangala Bai kept the art alive. They not only continued their mother’s work but also gave it wider recognition.

Baiga Girls Are Losing Interest

Mangala Bai is also skilled in painting, but tattooing remains her core identity. Speaking to ETV Bharat, she said, “My mother was my teacher. I learned every part of the tattooing process from her.” However, she is concerned that young Baiga girls, especially in rural areas, are no longer interested in getting tattoos like before.

"Nowadays, tattoos are done only on the forehead as a formality," she said. “Earlier, it used to be a full-body tradition—now it’s slowly disappearing. If this continues, an important part of our identity could be lost.”

Why the Change?

She believes the reasons could be both physical and financial. “The pain involved and the cost might be stopping many young girls,” she said. Earlier, girls would start getting tattoos at age nine, beginning with the forehead in winters and later adding tattoos on the hands, feet, and back every year.

Interestingly, while tattoos are losing popularity among the Baiga people, urban interest is growing. “People in cities now get tribal-style tattoos on their neck, waist, and hands for fashion,” Mangala added.

Recognition Across Borders

Mangala Bai has taken Baiga tattoo art to cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Dehradun, Gwalior, and Chennai. She has even traveled to Australia to showcase her work, where her traditional style received great appreciation in Sydney.

Requests Government Support

Recently, she was awarded the Young Women Achieve Award by Javed Akhtar at a Women’s Day program in Delhi. She has also been recognized by the Tribal Museum and Human Museum of Madhya Pradesh. But Mangala says that despite the awards, she has received no real help from the government.

“I haven’t received benefits under any major government scheme—not even ration, housing under Pradhan Mantri Awas, or the Ladli Behna scheme,” she said. She and her sister earn a living solely through their art.

She also requested that the government build a small Dharamshala in her village. “Girls come here from far-off places for tattoos. It would help if they had a place to stay,” she said.

A Culture at Risk

Mangala Bai’s journey shows both the beauty of a fading tradition and the struggles of keeping it alive. Her tattoos are not just designs—they are part of Baiga identity. And through her work, she hopes to keep that identity from disappearing.