(wl-1163)-Alikkath: Embodying the Muslim through Helix Piercings

The alikkath, an assemblage of earrings worn on the helix and upper lobe, was an indispensable identity marker of the Muslim woman in communities along the Malabar coast. This article looks at how the helix piercings and the alikkath became an embodied practice in the everyday lives of Muslim women, often attaining ritual significance. Through imaginative retellings of stories surrounding religious figures and beliefs, piercing and ornamenting the ears represented a complex negotiation between religiosity, modesty, and sexuality.