Sak Yant Tattoo
Thailand is perfect place to get a nice tattoo. The tattoo’s art in Thailand is very widespread and has ancient cultural roots, both in large cities and in rural areas. Tattoo’s studies are in all tourist areas, there everywhere in every street, at the corner and so on. A lot of tattoo artists are usually really good, most of them have great experience and their studios are hygienically safe. In any case check anywhere the overall look when you’ll go into the studio; hygiene, sterilization’s apparatus and general cleaning are easy to locate. Make you sure that tattoo artist speaks passable English, or at least enough to understand exactly what you want. If you don’t know in advance what you’ll draw of tattoo, weighted well the choice and avoid religious symbols that you don’t belong or that you are not sure of the meaning. Most religious tattoos are in Sanskrit or Khmer, if you see a tattoo that you’ll like be aware that the texts are written to the person that apply the tattoo, so it is not said that that tattoo is suitable for you. You always ask for a discount, even if the price we may ask is about a third of the West. It is good to know that the Thai pay much less than you and if you are clever you’ll get great prices.
In addition to classic tattoo artists, who use electric machines, there also tattoo centres who practice the Yatra tattoo ancient art. The tattoo is also known like Sak Yant Yantra, it is a practice tattoo form used in southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Sak means touching, tattoo, and Yant is Thai translation for sanskrit word Yantra. Thai people believe that Yantra tattoos are magical and serve to give mystical powers, protections or good luck. Sak Yant designs are normally tattooed by Ruesi, people with magical power, or by Buddhist monks, traditionally with long bamboo stick sharp, called Sak Mai, or with a fine metal rod, called Sak Khem. With this technique, Mai Sak or Sak Khem are first dipped in ink and then used to hit your skin with small firm strokes. This technique is equally painful, but have an advantage, respect electrical machines, to cause little blood’s leakage. The skin is perforated but not torn, not formed scabs and, since there isn’t a large blood loss, a colour’s part doesn’t come out also remains in the skin and the drawing are more accurate and vibrant. The Chinese chronicles, over 2,000 years ago, describe Yatra tattoo like a practice used in southwest China and northwest Vietnam. Probably Yantra tattoo has origins very ancient, mummified remains of ancient tribal leaders in Philippines have tattoo with this technique. Yantra tattoo technique is also used in Cambodia during the Khmer Empire. All Khmer warriors were covered by tattoo from head to their feet, included chest, arms and even individual fingers. According to popular beliefs tattoos served to repel enemy’s arrows. During other centuries this tradition spreads to Siam Kingdom, what is now Thailand, in Laos and also in Burma. Currently this tradition has remained very popular in Thailand, while in Cambodia and Laos this tradition has almost completely disappeared.
The script used to Yantra designs varies according to cultural factors. In the middle Thailand, as in Cambodia, is used to written in Khmer, while in the north of Thailand Yantra tattoo are done with Shan writing or Tai Lu writing, in Laos is employed Lao Tham writing. Tattoos are made with abbreviated syllables, forming Pali of spells. A lot of tattoo masters were added over the centuries of drawing, suggested by visions received in their meditations. A lot of people think that Yantra tattoo have magical and mystical powers, giving protection from adversity and fortune. Designs are strictly personal, and each is tattooed over the drawing of the phrases that drive out the enemy, fears or damage protection. Supposedly every tattoo is different that other one, even if the tourists, and the same Thai, you do draw on their body tattoo copied by others, just to taste, perhaps without knowing their meaning, and whether they are suitable to them. A typical example is Angelina Jolie’s tattoo on her back, the five vertical lines in Khmer language, this is one of the most copied tattoo by all but few know that is a prayer to ward off bad luck; in fact Angelina Jolie is very superstitious, and this prayer was composed for her by Buddhist monk.
Every year, thousand of foreign tourists come in Thailand to have a Sak Yant. In south-east Asia, Thailand is the country with the largest Sak Yant practitioner’s number. Sak Yant is performed thought out the Kingdom, in Bangkok’s temples, Ayutthaya and those in northern Thailand. One of the most famous temple of Sak Yant is Wat Bang Phra Nakhon Chaysri, in Nakhon Pathom city. Ajarn Noo Kanpai, perhaps is the most famous practitioner of Sak Yat across Thailand, started to tattoo here. Another well-know temple in northern Thailand is to Wat Keam, whose name means needle’s temple. Wat Keam is located in San Patong not far from Chiang Mai wall. This temple exercised a great master of Sak Yant, Phra Ajarn Gamtawn, who died in 2010. In Lum Phil, north of Ayutthaya, exert great masters Ajarn Kob and his son Ajarn Oh.
There many types and models of Yantra traditional tattoo, among them the most known and popular include: Ongk Phra, one of the most common elements in the Yantra, a tattoo that provide guidance and illumination; Ha Taew, this tattoo is usually practiced on the back of the left shoulder. Each five lines that make up part to the prayer is for protection, success and good fortune; Kao Yord, is usually tattooed on the top in the back’s centre, in various size and with different levels of complexity; Sii Yord, is a tattoo that serves to influence the feelings and actions of other and protect the front door; Paed Tidt is a tattoo representing protection in the eight universe director, is round in shape, and it is tattooed in the center of the back; Sip Tidt, a complete version of Paed Tidt that protects in ten directions instead of eigt; Yord Mongkut is a tattoo for good luck and protection during a battle round; Bpanjamukhee is used to ward off disease and danger; Suea, the tiger tattoo represents power and authority; it is usually paint twin tigers.Show More
