Tattoos of Tibetan Refugees: Moon

‘Moon’ came to India when he was only six. The only thing he remembers is he spent one year in the border town of Dam, and a local businesswoman walked across ‘Friendship Bridge’ with him (Border between China and Nepal), and he was sent to school. His family is all still in the Utsang region of Tibet.

His tattoo was done by hand, using a needle, ink and thread. It was done in 1994, when he was still only in 4th class at school. Many of the senior students all had the same piece, the Tibetan letters for ‘Ohm’ done at the same time in remembrance of Tibet.

He bears a small ‘dot’ tattoo between his eyes as well. He recalls that in his region, as a child, it was a mark of guys in gangs, but he had his done in India, and it has a different meaning to him now. Moon plans to return to Tibet and his face, like so many others, cannot be shown in this series.