Mehndi The application of Mehndi as an art. Apart from clothes and jewellery, currently one can use colours on one's very skin as a way of exposing one's personality. The most familiar form of body art is the use of Mehndi. Mehndi or henna is a flowering plant whose leaves are used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool.
The use of Mehndi in the Indian sub-continent's culture is a sign of a joyous occasion, such as Diwali, Eid, New Year celebration, wedding, engagement and so on.
Origin of Mehndi
Mehndi originates from a bush called Lawsonia Inermis grown in the Sudan, Egypt, India, most of the North African counties and the Middle East also.
The bush also grows quite larger in Florida and California that ranges from six to twenty feet. Mehndi or henna comes in many different shades or colours, ranging from reddish orange to brown-black. Other colours available are usually artificially mixed and have dyes added to the natural Mehndi, these usually do not last as long as natural Mehndi.
Natural ones can last for anything between 1-2 weeks depending on the number of times the coloured area is washed and on the body temperature
Mehndi designs
Traditionally there are four separate styles of Mehndi designs. The Middle Eastern style similar to the Arabic textiles, paintings and carvings is mostly made up of floral patterns.
Generally the North African style shapes the hands and feet using geometrical floral patterns.
Lastly, the Indonesian and Southern Asian styles are formed with a mix of Middle Eastern and Indian designs using blocks of colour on the very tips of their toes and fingers.
In Bangladesh, are most popular because of being thin, prominent and elaborate Pakistani designs are very popular in Bangladesh, which are a blend of the north Indian style and Arabic motifs - flowers, leaves and geometrical shapes.
Apart from these styles remain popular today Celtic designs and Chinese symbols have also been joined in popularity.
Mehndi customs
n India, Pakistan and Bangladesh today wedding is celebrated in a much larger canvas than before. Mehndi occupies a significant mainstay in all parts of a wedding ceremony in all Eastern wedding traditions. No wedding is complete without the decoration of the bride's hands and feet as traditionally, Mehndi designing for any Indian sub continent's bride is a must event.
Traditionally brides get together with her friends and spend hours applying the henna to her skin to mark the day special. There is an interesting reason for the bride for using Mehndi that she is not likely to join in household work until the henna is gone.
A blessing of mother-in-law is important to Asian brides of many cultures. Mehndi ceremony is sacredly considered as a symbol of blessing for the bride's married life. That's why the ceremony cannot move ahead unless the mother-in-law has applied the first spot of Mehndi to the bride's hand. Besides, the bridegroom's hands are also decorated in some customs and communities in Kashmir and Bangladesh evolving particular designs for men. Mehndi is also used in weddings and other special occasions that include worship and work.
Mehndi in different countries
In the Gulf regions including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates Mehndi night is a very common phenomenon.
A few days prior to the wedding they celebrate the Mehndi night like the Indian culture. The brides decorate her hands and feet and mothers and grandmothers sing traditional songs making the night enjoyable and memorable.
Mehndi is also used in other Middle Eastern celebrations such as births and christenings. Mehndi decorations became chic in the Western countries in the late 1990s. Western communities have adopted many wedding traditions of Eastern countries incorporating the application of Mehndi on hands and feet, the great Indian way. Apart from the similar use of Mehndi It has also become a business in the developed world.
Other use of Mehndi
Mehndi is considered as short-term tattoo, which is totally safe as it is made of all natural ingredients. It only lasts for a few days.
Mehndi is served as symbols of status, religious significance, marks of fertility, pledges of love, talismans for protection, and marks of slaves and convicts.
Now- a-days Mehndi has broken free of the traditional wedding and is being applied for different occasion like worldwide Valentine's Day bash, celebration of new year and in others joyful occasion.
Hands decorated with Mehndi arrest the attention of lovers. It's a symbol of love. Mehndi is also an excellent conditioner for hair and used to colour premature grey hair. It is also applied on the head to stop hair loss. There is also medical use of Mehndi as many herbal doctors still recommend the use of Mehndi for some ailments such as dry skin.
Conclusion
The age-old typical Indian custom and an essential part of brides' makeup, Mehndi has created global appeal. Now ready-made Mehndi is readily available from most shops in most countries with different designs. Mehndi usually stays on the body for fifteen to twenty days, varying with the body heat of each individual. It fades gracefully.
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