Behind the veil
In the village of Titram, where traditions and customs weave into everyday life, local women find empowerment in the simplicity of covering their faces with veils.
By Merrina O’Malley
Birmati and Reena Kumar like many of the women in the village, frequent the beauty salon to feel confident in themselves. According to Birmati, she is one of the few women over 40 who visits the salon and is not afraid to speak of it. “There are other women [of my age] that go to the salon, but they are secretive,” Birmati said. “I’m the only one who’s open about it.” | Photo by Maya Phillips
With newly-threaded eyebrows, Nirmala flips a pink, patterned veil over her face and walks home, weaving through the back streets of Titram. Like many women of her village, she comes to the salon to feel beautiful not by the standards of men, but by her own.
“I wear a veil [over my face]. I am doing [the beauty services] for myself,” Nirmala said.
“I wear a veil [over my face]. I am doing [the beauty services] for myself.”
In the heart of Titram, beauty traditions evolve, blending tradition with individual expression. Behind the veils and in the privacy of intimate salons, women celebrate themselves, defining beauty on their own terms.
This custom of veiling in the presence of older men is commonplace in Haryana, especially after visits to the salon for events like weddings and festivals. Many women are told to cover themselves both out of respect for their husbands and because of the sacredness of their beauty services. Many women like Nirmala say that, outside of their husbands, their beauty is for themselves. It is a way to make themselves feel beautiful beneath their veils and scarves.
Reena Kumar | Photo by Maya Phillips
Reena Devi — a salon owner of 11 years — says that during Karva Chauth, a festival where Hindu women fast for their husbands, her salon sees a surge in customers. Up to 30 women seek makeup services in just one day, a drastic change from her normal one to two customers per day. Most of these women get elaborate looks with kajal liner and bright lips, but they still choose to veil themselves until they are home with their husbands.
The women of Titram also prefer more secluded salons. Initially facing challenges with privacy — curtains that covered the door would flutter open to streetside onlookers — Reena relocated her salon within the walls of her home after six months of having it open on the main street front. Her new salon is still covered by curtains, but being tucked away provides more comfort to salon-goers. This move ensured the sought-after privacy and boosted clientele.
“Women don’t flaunt confidence on the streets because of men,” she said. “But it’s okay if they’re inside with curtains.”
Most women above the age of 40 are secretive about their salon visits, mostly because of societal standards, according to local midwife Reena Kumar. 55-year-old Birmati — her name revealed by a tattoo on her left arm — breaks from this norm. She continues to get salon services without hesitation, and much of the time she leaves the salon without a veil.
“If it weren’t for society, she would be walking around in a bikini all the time,” Reena Kumar jokes.