Since I’ve been in Jaipur, people often say immediately upon meeting me “You’re South Indian (or Tamil/Malayam) aren’t you?” I’m often taken aback by this quick recognition. It’s true, my family roots are from Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu, two of the southern Indian states. Still, I’m not used to people in India knowing immediately where I’m from. My darker skin and rounder facial features are more common in Southern India, but there is a diverse range of native skin tones and physical features in any region of India.
It became more clear to me when I introduced myself to a professor. Immediately upon meeting me she said, “You’re from South India aren’t you, like from Kerala or Tamilnadu?” I was surprised that she could tell so quickly. Later she explained to me: my nose stud, my naak ka kaanta is on the right side of my nose, the side where most South Indians pierce their nostril. Most North Indians pierce their left nostril. I had never realized that such a small thing made such a big difference in my identity.
Over the summer, I made the premeditated impulse decision to get my nose pierced. I had been entertaining the idea of getting a naak ka kaanta for years, but never got around to it. When one of my friends asked me to accompany her to a tattoo and piercing parlor, I realized that I might as well get the nose piercing I always wanted. The naak ka kaanta became a symbol for me. I felt like there were so many changes happening in my life and I wanted some kind of physical marker that I have entered a New Stage, however small. It also seemed like it was a good idea to get a nose ring just before moving to India for a year given its ubiquitousness and social acceptability here.
I hadn’t given any thought to which side of the nostril to pierce. It never occurred to me that the side could matter so much. I chose the right side because my hair falls to the left side of my face, therefore the right side piercing created a sort of symmetry. But let’s be real, I made the decision to get a nose piercing in one day. I didn’t think too hard about it.
I wonder what I would have chosen if I had known the significance of each side. South or North? Dosa or paratha? My heritage or my future? The right side of my nose carries a pride in my ancestors while the left side would have helped me blend into my current environment. I see myself coming back to North India in the coming years. I find North India, with its mix of lively culture and pressing problems of poverty and health, a compelling place to do the kind of work I find meaningful. Plus, I’m slowly getting pretty fluent in Hindi, so I might as well use it. What then matters more, the identity I was given or the path that I’ve chosen?
For now, I’m glad my naak ka kaanta is on the right side.
Svaast Ke Liye 