Young women refuse traditional Hindu face tattoos in Pakistan

The practice of elder women needling delicate shapes onto the faces, hands, and arms of younger generations stretches back centuries in the Hindu villages that dot the southern border with India. Yet in recent years, many young women have opted out of the "old ways" as rural Hindu communities in Muslim‑majority Pakistan become more connected to nearby cities. Discrimination against minorities runs deep in Pakistan and some younger generations now do not want to be instantly identified as Hindu in public.