DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Books are the source of knowledge, are they? Foreigners read a lot of books, do they? Youths who fly for abroad for studies read a lot, do they? There are so many questions I want to ask. Yet many will still remain unanswered, won´t they?

¨I have read only one book.And, I was surprised to see the words meaning in the dictionary. It has so many meaning and I was confused right away (laughing out loud).¨, shared Eros Maharjan a tattooist of Eros Ink Studio, Thamel.

A Walk To Remember was his first and last book till date. He finds the phrase ¨Break A Leg¨ funny at the same time very tricky. Here, Nepalese would understand the phrase the way it sounds if translated. The secret behind ¨Break A Leg¨ means ¨Good Luck¨. It was used to wish actors before they went on the stage, especially on the first (opening) night.

Eros recalls that his manager played an important role in his life. The manager´s question him one-day ¨why don´t you start tattooing?¨ This clicked him. It questioned him, ¨What am I doing here? Why have I not started what I am good in and enjoy?¨ He googled and you-tubed about tattoos every single day. He trained himself when ever he got a chance. Slowly and slowly he bought the instruments from his own pocket. Sooner than anybody could think of, Eros left his job and started his journey as a tattoo artist. However, this move did not surprise anyone because everyone believed and had confident in him.

The phrase ¨Behind every successful man there is a woman¨ holds true in Eros life. From the very beginning stage till today, his wife´s support and encouragement helped him to achieve his targets. ¨My wife is the soul to my dead body.¨, says Eros with pride.

I asked in curiosity, ¨What was the first design you inked?

He said, ¨It was a star. I inked my wife first. She was my first client (giggling). It was easy for me. Later, I tattooed all my housemates with a Star. The star became like our code word.¨

Eros has seven tattoos on his body. He inked himself three of them. He has no regrets of any sort. He feels proud to have tattoos on. In time, he will fill the empty spaces. He also shared that he felt scared to have his first tattoo. The tattoo on his left arm reads ¨DIA DE LOS MUERTOS¨ inked by artist Giuseppe Romanello. This is the most important tattoo for him. It is a tribute to his best friend(Manoj shrestha) and uncle (Rajendra Maharjan). He lost them both when he was in London.

¨I felt as if they were taken together. I could do nothing. It was the saddest moment of my life abroad. I loved them both equally. God takes only the good ones away before their time came.¨, shared Eros in a tumbled voice. His voice lowered and tumbled when he spoke about beloved ones.

The portrait of his grandmother lies on his chest. He says, ¨I lost my grandma one week after I landed in London. Everyday she prayed for my visa. She loved and cared me more than anybody did.¨

¨My parents did not tell me about her sudden death. They thought I would come back without fulfilling my dreams.¨, he added in a weak voice. Besides he has a great passion for guitar. He inked a Dean Guitar on his forearm as a tribute to his favorite guitarist Dimebag Darrell from Pantera Band.

There was a moment of silence after he finished his sentence. No one spoke a word. It was just like the horror movie waiting for the door to open. in order to lighten the room we laughed about funny clips on television. we also spoke about Eros´s work. Rittam (friend &partner) shared that Kurt Cobain is one of the best works of Eros. It was done on a dark skin client. However, the details came out so good that Eros himself was surprised and amazed.

Findings: In most parts of Central and South America, the human skeleton is simply a symbol of what is literally within everyone; it is a way to show the inner you, the soul, acting just as a human being in the flesh might act.

The most important aspect of the Dia De Los Muertos tradition is to not imagine but to know that dead souls are enjoying themselves and are excitedly but patiently awaiting the reunion with family members still on Earth.

In Nepal, the Day of Death is called Gaijatra. On this day, a member of the family dresses like cow and walk around the city with music bands.