Temples and Tattoos with Travelin' Mick An Adventure in Western India
Travelin’ Mick, international tattoo scholar, photographer and journalist, invites you to "hit the road" with him as he explores the ancient temples and tribal and modern tattoo traditions of western India.
Tattoos have played an integral part in the shaping of societal and individual identities throughout history, in part because they have the ability to express our creativity and how we view ourselves in relation to the world around us. Travelin' Mick has dedicated his life to memorializing different tattooing practices around the world and sharing them with others though photographs and journalistic narratives. The "Tattoo" part of our trip will highlight the traditional tattooing practices of the Lambani tribe of Karnataka, with whom Mick is intimately familiar. It will also explore the modern tattoo scene in Mumbai and Goa, with an emphasis on the individuals and studios that are leading the charge to reintroduce this ancient art to Indians of all ages.
Photo: Travelin' Mick
The "Temple" part of the trip captures the other wonderful sights and sounds of India that we will experience on this 14 day/13 night adventure. This includes the historic architecture and street bazaars of Mumbai, the coffee and spice plantations of Karnataka, and the Portuguese-influenced culture, arts and cuisine of Goa (as well as Goa's lively beaches). We will also visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Karnataka - the sacred temple complex of Pattadakal and the ancient city of Vijayanagar in Hampi - as well as the famed temples of Belur and Halebid and the atmospheric Badami cave temples.
Photo: Travelin' Mick
About Travelin’ Mick Travelin’ Mick is an internationally-recognized photographer and journalist who has spent the last fifteen years relentlessly roaming the world in search of the last remaining tattoo cultures on the planet.His life’s goal is to document these fading traditions for future generations and to promote an understanding of the importance of tattooing in the history, arts and culture of mankind. His images express the beauty and pride of these ethnic groups and traditional communities - communities which still bear the ancient marks of their people.
On the Indian subcontinent alone, Mick has documented first-hand the tattooing practices of the Rabari, the Ollo Nocte, the Apa Tani, the Konyak and Wancho Nagas, the Kanpatha Yogis, the Tharu, the Kutia Kondhs, the Lambani and the Ramanamis. His resulting articles and photographs have appeared in leading tattoo industry publications such as: Skin&Ink, Rebel Ink, Urban Ink and Tattoo Road Trip (USA), TaetowierMagazin (Germany), Total Tattoo (UK), Scandinavian Tattoo Magazine (Sweden), Tatouage Magazine (France), Tattoo Planet (Netherlands), Tattoo Burst (Japan), Tattoo Master (Russia) and Asian Geographic (Singapore).Mick’s first book, “In Your Face,” is scheduled to be published in mid-2012.It is a gorgeous coffee table tome filled with his remarkable photographs of traditional ethnic tattoos from around the world.The photograph which graces the cover of the book - a rare photo of a Ramanami man with full facial tattoos (shown left) – was nominated for the prestigious World Press Photo Awards in 2010.
Click here to visit Travelin' Mick's website, where you can read about his many adventures and browse through his portfolio of tattoo photographs from around the world.
Mick truly shares our passion for all forms of body art and adornment in India, and we are honored to have him lead this upcoming tour in Mumbai, Karnataka and Goa.Each day, Mick will share his knowledge about the history of tattooing in India and beyond through informal discussions complemented by his amazing photographs.Besides the Lambani tribe, members of whom we will meet on our trip, he will showcase many of the other ethnic groups he has studied during his fifteen-year tattoo conservation crusade.Mick will also share his insights into the best way to photograph these tribes and traditions in a way that respects the culture and privacy of the people we will meet.
Temples and Tattoos with Travelin' Mick 14 Days/13 Nights November 3rd through 16th, 2012 Maximum Group Size - 16 people
