The Hidden Story of Partition Tattoos

In 1947, They Tattooed the Children.

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This oil painting was done by Edwin Lord Weeks in the 1880s. He undertook his first voyage to India in 1882, where he proved to be a dedicated observer of Indian culture and architecture. "Nautch Girls Emerging from the Taj Mahal" is one of his well-known works. The painting showcases a group of nautch girls, who were traditional Indian dancers and entertainers, emerging from the iconic Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, and is considered one of the most beautiful and recognizable landmarks in the world. (Available now as print)

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Recommended Reads:

How Partition Affected the Lives of Women

The Intertwined History of Hindi and Urdu

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The Hidden Story of Partition Tattoos

In 1947, They Tattooed the Children.

A elderly man in Punjab, India displays his tattoos. Photograph by Tim Smith

In 1947, the Indian subcontinent gained independence from the British Empire—but the victory was short-lived. More than 10 million Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs were forced to abandon their homes, scrambling to reach the “right” side of hastily drawn borders: Hindus and Sikhs fled to India, Muslims to Pakistan. It became one of the largest mass migrations in human history. The true death toll remains unknown, but estimates suggest that two to three million people perished in the violence.

Those who lived through Partition as children are now in their eighties and nineties. Their memories may be fading, but the trauma endures—sometimes etched permanently into their skin as faded, blurred tattoos.