Mehndi

Opis Mehndi

Mehendi is a temporary art form of skin decoration that is popular mainly to adorn palms of women, back of the hands and feet. It is applied from a paste of dried ground henna leaves that is bought in a cone shaped tube and made into designs. The designs may be simple like a single circular blob, or intricate geometric patterns inspired by Gothic or Arabic art. It is applied by the bride and her relatives before the wedding, and during festivities
🌺Present Day Scenario🌺
It is usually applied during Hindu weddings and festivals like Karva Chauth, Diwali, Teej, and Bhai dooj. Beautiful designs are drawn on hands, feet and legs, which enhance the beauty of a woman by leaps and bounds, especially when they slip into traditional outfits like Lehengas, Saris and Salwar Kurtas. Maximum designs are drawn on the palms of the hand since there is no melanin there, and the drawn objects appear clearly. In some parts of India, even bridegrooms get their hands embellished with Mehendi as part of the wedding ceremony and rituals.
Mehndi artists are extremely skilled and take their time to make the exquisite designs as per the customer’s demands. They carry a set of printed designs from which one can choose, which is similar to getting a temporary tattoo. They then take a cone which has the readymade paste and then slowly draw the design. Once the design is made, the person has to be careful about not smudging it since it remains wet for a very long time. Once the mehendi has dried and begins to crack, it can be washed off which leaves an imprint of the design on the body. The longer the Mehndi is kept before washing, the darker the design gets due to oxidation of color. The color could be a darker or lighter shade of orange or black.
In Rajasthan, the grooms are given designs that are often as elaborate as those for brides. In Assam, apart from marriage, it is broadly used by unmarried women during Rongali bihu.Muslims in Afghanistan also started to use it as an indication of coming of age. In the Middle East and Africa, it is common for women to apply henna to their fingernails and toenails and to their hands.
According to Hindu tradition, the ceremony is mainly held at the bride's house or at a banquet hall on the eve of the marriage ceremony or few days before the marriage. Generally, the bride and groom attend the event together and on the occasion, a professional mehndi artist or a relative applies mehndi to the bride's hands and feet. The designs are very intricate. Often hidden within the mehndi pattern, the name or initials of the groom are applied. The event generally has a celebratory festival feel to it with the women dancing and singing traditional songs and the girls wearing vivid colors such as hot pink and yellow, often if the bride to be wishes to tease her future groom she will make him wear purple. The groom usually wears jutti instead of western footwear.The person who applied the henna was always someone who was already known to be happily married.
🌺Types of Mehndi Designs🌺
⚜️Indian Mehndi Designs⚜️
⚜️Arabic Mehndi Designs⚜️
⚜️Western Mehandi Designs⚜️
⚜️Tattoo-esque Mehndi Designs⚜️
⚜️Figure Art⚜️