Friday, April 20, 2012

The girl with a nose stud

Piercings were for wild people. Folks who had body piercings at unusual places, tattered clothes are disorganized and lack sophistication. It was not for a simple girl like me; until one day 6 years ago. I was in California, sitting in a food court in a mall after shopping when a lady walked with her kid of about 4-5 years. They sat beside my table and the kid's curiosity had no end. She asked what was the dot on my forehead(bindi). Her mom explained that it was an accessory like her hair accessory. The girl then commented "Mom! She has a piercing on her nose!"

I never thought it was nose piercing until that moment even though it obviously was. It is a common practice in India and I didnt consider it wild! But hell! it was. So I was wild with a nose piercing and an ornamental stud. That's when I realized my colleagues and peers at work would have had the same opinion. How did they address me behind my back? That Indian girl with a piercing? Ewwww!

So how did it happen? I was in 6th grade and my cousin was getting married. It was mandatory in my community for a girl to have her nose pierced and wear a jewelery; else they would blame it being barren (not a positive sign). So after much persuasion; my family got her to agree and it was done. I somehow found the nose stud cool and I wanted it to! My mom denied but I wouldn't give up.

So finally one Sunday; accompanied by my neighborhood kids (all boys gang); went to a local goldsmith. It was a festivity kind of environment; we were making noise; laughing and looking forward to the event. My mom bought me a tiny stud and there! a sharp copper wire pierced on the left side of my nose. The puncture was like an ant bite; it didn't pain. We went back with the same excitement and joy.

It has stayed on after all these years. Its not common nowadays for a girl to get her nose pierced but that's what puts me apart from others. I still find it cool :) But I wouldn't do it anywhere else on my body. That's wild!!

72 comments:

  1. interesting...
    i want to ask "can you tell me something about this pics of your blog?"it seem different..:)

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    1. cover picture..
      its look like a building embedded in some mountain type thing..

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    2. Oh! Thats cave temples of Dambulla, Sri Lanka. These temples are of 1st century BC

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    3. ohh that's interesting...
      nice click..

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  2. I wanted to get my nose pierced when I was a kid, but my mom knew me too well. She knew that I would get bored of it soon and then crib about the mark on the nose all my life. And I thank her for that even today. I do not fancy piercing. I tried it on ears, but it didn't suit me much. Since then I am happy with the regular earrings and no more piercing anywhere else.

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    1. Neha,

      The way I mention about tattoos. I have never got bored of this and it doesnt irritate me either! In fact i dont wear ear rings since they irritate me but not this

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  3. My mom pierced my nose when I was just five.For many years I wore a golden ring (like a small nath)but later had to give up wearing anything on my nose because of allergic rhinitis .I wear my diamond stud only on special occasions and I love it .

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    1. kavita,

      I remember the wedding pics you shared on Facebook :)

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  4. Hi B,

    Have been reading all your posts,was unable to comment from office. :(

    Mookuthi was an old tradition of ours.I dont really follow some of our traditions, but this one is super cool. I don't have one but, I love seeing ladies who has nose stud.

    Apart from this, I too hate other forms of piercings!!

    Have you noticed, some of the girls parents ask them to pierce the nose , but they refuse.. and they go for other body piercing ??? ctrl +C of western influence ;) Wierd !

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    1. Ramya,

      no problem. Yeah, I was not forced; I got one myself. Yeah its kind of obsolete now; even traditional homes dont force the girls now which is good

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  5. Body piercing, ye it is kind of wild , bizarre. I think such extreme ( I call it so) acts are signs of confusion, longing to be noted. It perhaps come out of rebellious notions.
    Don't know what , but not my fancy.

    As for what you did ,I guess is something that may enhance the personality of a person. Well then it is not a necessity for being seen in the crowd. is it?

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    1. Anil,

      Fortunately; it was not that I rebelled. I just liked it. True that, I didnt realize that the nose stud could make me stand out in the crowd until that incident which I mentioned. But I just dont care!

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  6. Insignia - I can share with you about a tattoo on my arm, which turned out horrible, and doesn't look cool any longer, while dressed to look serious.. but then you are happy about it while I am not :)

    guess could have felt like you, if the tattoo had turned out good..

    Anil - i can say mine was a rebellion, mixed with some kind of statement..but the story remains, the venus turned to look like a mosquitoe imprinted on my arm :(

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    1. ousu,

      Thats sad; fortunately that didnt happen to me. I have been comfortable since the day I got it.

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  7. I had a pinching nath for my wedding to avoid piercing my nose. But then I got my nose pierced somewhere at a roadside vendor at Jayanagar when it became cool. I had a cute nose ring for some time. But, then I got bored, removed it and allowed the hole to close :). I had allergic rhinitis too so it was better that I did not have anything in my nose.

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  8. How do you know about ant bites :) BUt i think here abroad its known fact for ear and nose piercing among asians, so i dont think they talk like that :)

    I also have my ear pierced, did you know that he he he he..

    That reminds me I am getting a Tatttooo done yayyyyyyyyyyy...

    Bikram's

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    1. Bikram,

      :P I think its common in UK where Indian diaspora is more. Some places in US also but not everyone right?

      Oh! Tattoo?? Nice! Share the pic once done

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  9. Yeah.. Very much like me.. Piercings on eyebrows, tongue, belly i find them kinda wild, unsophisticated, also permanent tattoos. Being Indian, nose piercing has been a part of customs and rituals, i have friends who have them and it looks good. The brides today (even without piercing) wear the nose-rings with their wedding dress to look perfect, more beautiful and very Indian.. :)

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    Replies
    1. Shesha,

      Yeah, its nice to see brides in those huge nath. The trend is fading slowly.

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  10. Between you and me, B - Nose-studded females are - SEXY!!! Honest, I have always found it kinda exciting! :-D :-D

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    Replies
    1. Balan,

      Haaa thats nice Balan. You may not find many these days

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  11. the thought of something piercing through my skin gives me jitters... but yeah nose stud looks great on girls ... i could only think of Sania Mirza :D

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    1. Rajlakshmi,

      Hmmm I didnt think much then. I found it cool and got it done. I dont think I can think of piercing anymore now

      Delete
  12. Piercing of nose and ears fine but other body parts... eeks!

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  13. Rahul,

    Since we idians have nose and ear piercing as part of our culture; we feel fine with it. In fact, I cant think of piercing anywhere else on my ears other than the lobe.

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  14. Nose rings... love to see them on others.. but hate to done them myself.. and I have a group of male friends who finds ladies with nose rings HOT!! :)

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  15. this highly useful information on nose studs. I hope to look at this blog site more over the period of time .

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  16. Nice blog. BTW, yaarakkum sonnadhu that this is dying out, both my sisters got their right nostrils pierced on their own volition. One of them went on and got her left nostril also pierced last month because she wanted to. I make fun of her that she looks like a mami, but it suits her damn well. And I agree with you about getting more holes in the ears, though many womenfolk in my family went for the second shot. Sigh...girls!

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    1. Kiran,

      Thank you. :) Thats nice to hear about your sisters. I dont find any girl/lady these days opting for a nose stud. I get asked often as to how I ended up with a stud. Ha ha, I want to get my other nostril pierced too; like a mami. I have many mamis in my family from whom I can take inspiration from :)

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    2. Go ahead then. Do what you feel like 😊. Also these 'mamis' in your family have both their nostrils pierced? That's rare these days

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    3. :) That nudge is really tempting. All those mamis and paatis are quite aged and yeah it is rare these days but those folks are quite traditional and conservative. And they've got 8 stone "besaris" :)

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    4. No, seriously. If you feel like it, get it done. You need to carry it with an attitude. It is rare, but definitely catching up. I am a guy and so I won't get my nose pierced, however I do have both my ears pierced. In fact, I wear a second stud in my left ear, and a second and third stud in my right ear :)

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    5. Wow! more than one stud on the ear!! Wow wow! This is interesting. Yeah, very soon Kiran :) As you said, I need to carry it with an attitude. I have been contemplating about that for a while now :)

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    6. Yes, I got my lobes pierced at 17 right before I entered college. Those were my first holes. Then at 20 I got a second pair of holes right above the lobes. Then last yeas I got a third hole in my conch for my birthday in LA. I think I'm done though. My ears are sparkling enough :)

      What are you contemplating, getting an extra pair of earrings or getting the other nostril also pierced?

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    7. :) Ha, your story is getting more and more interesting. And it looks to me that those ear lobes are going to be adorned further :) Sparkling hmm? I can imagine.

      My contemplation is whether I will be able to carry off well with attitude if I got the other nostril pierced as I have been able to carry off this piercing now. I get lot of curious looks and get asked how and why. But I feel good about it. I like to travel and I've been to various parts of the world and I consistently get noticed and asked about the nose piercing. I want to feel totally good if I went for the other one too :)

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    8. Nah,I don't think I will, but who knows? It's my birthday next month ;). So I may end up getting another set of holes and some nice diamond studs to go with that ;). Azhaga irukkum, and I can wear my hair in a kutti kondai to show my adorned ears.

      How about you get your nose pierced, and I get my ears :) This is my sister Sunanda. Kick the fashion up again I say, lakshanama irukkum. You'll turn a lot of heads

      https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5baNlCBL1VyOHFTY3otWXltcnc

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    9. Advanced Birthday wishes to you. Hair in a bun and diamond studs sure seems brilliant! Ha the deal! now I need to start thinking seriously and go for it! Your sister is stylish. Thanks for sharing her picture.

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    10. http://bit.ly/2fQoe1K. Here is what I want this time. Thanks for the suggestion of more adornment. I may not have considered one more hole but for your suggestion. ��

      And thanks. Suni is very kind too. She lets me wear her earrings from time to time.

      Go ahead and get the other side pierced with a diamond. You'll love it, trust me. Ask your better half too.

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  19. Oh my! These are worn on the helix right? have seen some women wearing it, never seen a guy yet. Awesome! I can only visualize, it does seem cool. A very fitting birthday gift ��

    I will soon get another nose stud �� thank you for all the encouragement

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    1. Yes. A fitting birthday gift to myself. It is predominantly a woman's thing but I like to break boundaries and try different earrings in each of the holes
      and new hairstyles 😉. I'm thinking I'll get diamonds in this new koppu. Can't wait for November 2nd🤗

      And good luck with the new piercing. Do blog about it

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    2. :) That is so nice. Dont come across people like you everyday. Have a lovely birthday flashing those sparkles and that kutti kondai :)

      Thank you; I will sure write about the new piercing.

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  20. Haha yes. That kondai would be more elaborate and bigger except that I don't have very long hair. I'll have to make do with what I can with my hair length. And birthday earrings aren't going to be bleh. What are Sisters for lol? They have a nice collection. I'm already excited

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    1. :-) Of course! I am excited about your plans now.

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    2. :) Please update me on your birthday. I'd be excited to know about the new additions of koppu

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    3. The birthday may just be the piercing. It may have to heal before I can start wearing jewelry in it. Last year my other sister asked my of I want to get my nostril pierced. She said she'll give me one of her diamond studs.i politely refused

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    4. Oh yes, whenever you start wearing the koppu; please let me know. Ha! that was a sweet gesture from your sister. Now that you mentioned this; I must say I used to wear a stud with a bigger stone earlier. It was a single white diamond stone. I gave it to my cousin who wears it on his ear now; single one. I moved on to a smaller stone stud now.

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    5. Yes she was like Kiran you should try it and remove it if you don't like it. I'm a guy, I can't get my nose pierced. And sure I'll let you know when I get the koppu. I'll get it pierced on November 2. When are you planning for yours?

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  21. Done. It hurt a little, but I got my helix pierced for getting a koppu. I'll wait for it to heal and adorn it. My sis wanted me to try a nose piercing. Thanks, but no thanks

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  22. Did you ever come around to get the rendaavadhu mookuthi? I got my right nostril pierced last week with a kutti vaira mookuthi. I was reminded of this thread when looking up some jewelry online. It's still healing. I'll send you a link to a picture once it compltely heals. YAYY!

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    1. Hey, thats awesome. Oh my! you finally did it. Congrats. I am yet to get the second one :) I am still not confident....hmm...

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    2. Yup finally did it.I was checking out some mookuthis at Bapalals, just window shopping when I was spotted by my sister who was looking for me. She might have seen a sight twinkle in my eye and insisted that i get my nose pierced. I refused and protested, but the mookuthi was so pretty that my protest was weak and I caved in to temptation. She was like, "kaadhu naraya maatindu irukka, mookula jolikka onnu kuthinda azhaga irukkum. Selected a small poo shaped mookuthi with 5 kutti diamonds. The pricingp hurt but was worth it. Now I wear my own mookuthi and don't have to wonder what it feels like for others to have their noses pierced. When I look down on my nose, I see images of things around me. Elder sisters ftw

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    3. :-D Amazing. You always wanted to; didnt you? Glad you are enjoying your new mookuthi. I dont know when I'd go ahead. :)

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    4. Yup it's nice. I've always wanted one sparkling diamond in my nose but have been afraid to do ahead since the mookuthi is a very girly jewel. I may not have done this time but for my sister's nudge. All those beautiful
      And sparkling nosess that my relatives and my teachers had came to mind and temptation was too much to resist. It is a very beautiful and feminine piece of jewelry. I may want to get a small collection . I feel so shy typing this out :)

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    5. Haha awesome. I am sure you are going to get yourself a small beautiful collection

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  23. Three months in, getting my nose pierced was one of the best decidingd I've made ( or my sister made for me). I had no idea it would be so wonderful. When I glance down on my nose I see reflections of people, buildings, flowers and I see rainbow colors ya. It's so satisfying. You girls have been so lucky I say. I was so content with those extra ear holes, but now acquired a small collection of dainty vaira mookuthis.

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    1. And more importantly what a graceful piece of jewelry 😊😊

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  24. Excellent blog and post :) . Also very cute story of Kiran getting his nose and ears pierced. Did you get your rendaam mookuthi?

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  25. I like this information. Thanks for sharing this. I would like to this articles and i have confusion but i read your news and i easy understood
    uncut diamond

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  26. Hi ! This is very informative & interesting article. Nice to read your blog post first time ever. I really appreciate this post. Thanks for sharing this awesome post.

    Must Read -: A Guide to Nostril Piercings: Cost, Jewellery and Healing

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  27. At PI we offer a varied range of totally unique piercing and body tattooing services.

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