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SacredTattoos

25 MAY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: PAT, a Thai woman getting a tattoo, makes and offering to AJARN NENG ONNUT before Ajarn Neng tattooed her in Sak Yant tattoo parlor. Sak Yant (Thai for "tattoos of mystical drawings" sak=tattoo, yantra=mystical drawing) tattoos are popular throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The tattoos are believed to impart magical powers to the people who have them. People get the tattoos to address specific needs. For example, a business person would get a tattoo to make his business successful, and a soldier would get a tattoo to help him in battle. The tattoos are blessed by monks or people who have magical powers. Ajarn Neng, a revered tattoo master in Bangkok, uses stainless steel needles to tattoo, other tattoo masters use bamboo needles. The tattoos are growing in popularity with tourists, but Thai religious leaders try to discourage tattoo masters from giving tourists tattoos for ornamental reasons. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ

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AjarnNengOnnutTattoos012.jpg
Copyright
© 2015 Jack Kurtz
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Thailand (All)
25 MAY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: PAT, a Thai woman getting a tattoo, makes and offering to AJARN NENG ONNUT before Ajarn Neng tattooed her in Sak Yant tattoo parlor. Sak Yant (Thai for "tattoos of mystical drawings" sak=tattoo, yantra=mystical drawing) tattoos are popular throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The tattoos are believed to impart magical powers to the people who have them. People get the tattoos to address specific needs. For example, a business person would get a tattoo to make his business successful, and a soldier would get a tattoo to help him in battle. The tattoos are blessed by monks or people who have magical powers. Ajarn Neng, a revered tattoo master in Bangkok, uses stainless steel needles to tattoo, other tattoo masters use bamboo needles. The tattoos are growing in popularity with tourists, but Thai religious leaders try to discourage tattoo masters from giving tourists tattoos for ornamental reasons. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
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