Aizawl, Jan. 25: Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie changes her tattoos according to her marital status (had her ex-husband Billy Bob Thorton?s name removed from her back once she was divorced). Footballer David Beckham sports wife Victoria?s name proudly on his arm in Devnagiri. Closer home, actor Raveena Tandon had her birthsign tattooed above her collar bone. More recently, actor Arjun Rampal flaunted bizarre designs all over his body in the film Ek Ajnabee.

Enter Mizoram. The ancient Egyptian form of body art ? tattoo ? has become the latest ?status symbol? in the fashion-conscious state, raising the hackles of both the Church and health workers.

From Gen-X to grown-ups, all are going gaga over tattoos, flaunting colourful designs on bulging biceps, collar bones, shoulders, navels and even on ankles.

?Tattoos are no longer associated with the rough and rowdy. With the growing popularity of tattoos among young people, it is vital that we develop a better understanding of this form of self-expression,? said Lallianzuala Sailo, a popular tattoo artist who runs a parlour.

The 59-year-old artist said the designs are popular not only among youngsters but among all age groups. ?What has given a new dimension to the fad is the latest fashion of sleeveless T-shirts and low-waist jeans that provide ample space on which to put the designs,? he said.

The latest craze has led to several tattoo parlours mushrooming in the capital and elsewhere but Sailo remains the favourite.

However, the Church sees designs of the devil in the latest fad and Church leaders are totally against what is popularly known as ?permanent reminder of temporary insanity?.

Ngura, a senior Presbyterian Church leader, said: ?The Church never encourages people, especially youngsters, who indulge in tattoo culture. It leads to side effects.?

In this predominantly Christian state, the Church wields considerable influence among the people, but youngsters said their faith has not diminished just because of a tattoo.

The health sector is not too happy with the craze either.

According to additional health director B. Baruah, there have been a variety of claims that bad tattoo ink has adverse effects like allergic reactions, burning sensation during tattooing and the migration of ink to different tissues in the body.

Another senior health specialist, T. Lalhmangaihi, too, expressed concern, saying: ?Contracting AIDS or hepatitis virus is a real threat for tattoo enthusiasts as the same needle is used on different persons.?

But tattoo artists denied the allegations claiming that they take all precautions to make the designs safe.

?Tattooing is an art and the artist should make sure that the skin should not get spoiled due to bad inks. I import synthetic pigments from Malaysia,? Sailo said.

His tattoos cost anywhere from Rs 250 to a couple of thousands of rupees depending on the designs. He also said the use of disposable needles, gloves, dyes, and anaesthetics have now wiped out any possibility of contracting diseases like AIDS and Hepatitis.

For youngsters like 25-year-old Laldinpuii, her tattoos are not just style symbols but reminders of events and people in her life. ?The design on my shoulder is a reminder of a dear friend. The ?Cross? on my arm, my first one, represents the Gospel,? she said.