If you are a tattoo enthusiast, you must have heard of Sak Yant tattoos. These tattoos have a history of over 2,000 years and are very sacred to monks in Cambodia. The country's turbulent history has caused many art forms to disappear, but Sak Yant tattoos have miraculously survived until now. Usually written in Khmer, the main language of Cambodia, these tattoos look like verses.
In Cambodia, you can get these tattoos at tattoo shops in Phnom Penh, but the tattoos here have no meaning. Getting a Sak Yant tattoo from a Buddhist monk is not easy as a Cambodian Royal Decree of 1920 banned monks from tattooing.
According to the beliefs of this country, Sak Yant tattoos have great power, if given to the wrong person, it can cause very serious consequences. And if you are lucky enough to have a monk give you this tattoo, you will hear them chanting while tattooing you. According to these monks, they chant to bring life to the tattoo, bringing strength and blessings to the person who is tattooed.
If you want a Sak Yant tattoo, you will have to accept that the monks will decide what to tattoo on you and will only see the tattoo once it is finished.
The ink used for Sak Yant tattoos is made from snake venom, charcoal, and coconut oil. While many tourists are satisfied with tattoos from shops in Phnom Penh, many are determined to travel to remote areas to see tattoo monks in Cambodia. Seeing a monk and receiving a Sak Yant tattoo is said to be more effective because of the prayers that are infused into the tattoo.
