Mehndi, a way of sophisticated body art

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.

Pakistan Mehndi Styles

No Pakistani wedding is ever complete without the Mehendi. Whichever part of the country the bride may be from, her hands are adorned with the lovely red hue of the mehendi (mehndi).
Beauty parlors have special bridal mehendi packs - these days, the brides have a choice between the Pakistani mehendi (which covers pretty much most of the palm) and the Arabic mehendi (in which the pattern is drawn to one side of the hand). The cost of applying the mehendi may vary from parlor to parlor.

Mehendi (Mehndi) is associated to lots of things - a good dark design is a sign of good luck for the marital couple. It is common for the names of the bride and groom to be hidden in the mehndi design; and the wedding night cannot commence until the groom has found the names. Some examples of popular traditional images used in mehndi designs are the peacock, which is the national bird if India, the lotus flower, and an elephant with a raised trunk, which is a symbol of good luck.

From adorning brides' hands, to being used to make hip tattoos on arms and bellies, Mehendi / Mehndi or Henna has gone international. Once a typically Pakistani custom and an indispensable part of a brides makeup, Mehendi has gone cosmopolitan thanks to the attention it gets through stars like Madonna, No Doubt and Bjork.

Attractive Mehndi Designs

Designs appear to ice. Every time you buy something and finally chat with the staff from the Koran. At least most of the clerks I think it is beautiful. People in the streets and it seems to me to smile some more and start talking. We are talking about my hands, instead of the weather. I am also self-conscious about the condition of my nails.

I wonder if was a good idea to attract a lot of attention to the hands of fairly large. I wonder if it is true that my hands are unusually large, or if you just want to pay too much attention to them. I wonder why I do not have better things to worry. Teen with wild hair stops me and asks me if I could read his poetry. I sat on the seat next to him to hear, and I'm scared of Bohemia. A few days after design begins to erode. I go to Lucia's house for an impromptu dinner, and after each person had some red wine, and she comes from the henna dye pack. Lucia is a painter, and it takes a long time African porcupine quill she bought a painting is very good. They want to know whether the extremely accurate with patterns of nature, contrary to my loved ones thick. Xena, one of the guests, and agree on its feet has done.

There is something very sensual and moody about this process. All that remains of us watching, we drank wine in the light of candles, and even think more and more stupid ways to decorate the body. Lucia when her boyfriend begins painting her feet, the rest of us decided that the time has come to leave. Xena I drive barefoot in the house. It toes toward the door of her building. We have noted the sensitivity of the feet.

On Sunday, my designs virtually disappear. I'm not really disappointed. Designs and fun while it lasted, but I feel that wearing my jewelry again, and can vary my view. I realize that I do not want a permanent tattoo - I was bored. I wonder why my tattoo has worn off quickly. Although it is probably true that I am not working too hard, at least not in the physical sense, and I think it is worn quickly because I wash my hands often. In any case, that my story and I stick to it.

How to apply Mehndi?

You can make your own powder by drying henna leaves in shade. It might take weeks for them to dry to a crisp and you need to grind them thoroughly. You may also buy henna powder from the market.
Take....
1. Henna powder sieved through a muslin cloth.
2. Well strained strong tea decoction.
3. Eucalyptus oil (few drops).
4. Strained lime juice.
5. Sugar (one table spoon).
Take the henna powder in a bowl, add the tea till it becomes a thick paste (similar to a dough). Add eucalyptus oil, sugar and lime juice and mix well to make it into a smooth and thin paste.
Make a cone....

Leave it covered over night or during the day if you prefer to apply in the night.
Take a thick plastic cover or use any thick freezer bag - cut it into shape of rectange 7" X 4". Twist one corner of the cover to make a cone. Tighten the tip to make tiny hole. Hold the tip and fill the paste and tie the broader end tightly with a thread.
You also get readymade cones from the market.
Let imagination fly...
Now have fun. What ever you draw is beautiful and is a master piece in its own.

Remember....
You should leave the mehendi to dry on your skin and keep it on for as long as possible (4 to 6 hours if possible - you may go to bed also with it). Scrape it after that. The color will become deeper if you leave it untouched by water for another 4 to 6 hours. A deep color may last upto two weeks. The coloration varies from person to person.

What is Mehndi?

The art of Mehendi has existed for centuries. The exact place of its origin is difficult to track because of centuries of people in different cultures moving through the continents and taking their art forms with them and therefore sharing their art with everyone along the way.

Some historical evidence suggests that Mendhi started in India while others believe it was introduced to India during the twelfth century A.D. I personally feel that it would be hard to argue the fact that it appeared as an art form in Egypt first.

Proof has been found that henna (MEHENDI) was used to stain the fingers and toes of Pharoahs prior to mummification over 5000 years ago when it was also used as a cosmetic and for it's healing power. The mummification process took 70 days and as the Egyptians were diligent in planning for their deaths and their rebirth in the afterlife, they became quite obsessed with the preservation process. The Egyptians believed that body art ensured their acceptance into the afterlife and therefore used tattooing and mendhi to please the gods and guarantee a pleasant trip.


The henna used for Mehendi comes from a bush called Lawsonia Inermis which is part of the loose strife family and is grown in the Sudan, Egypt, India, most of the North African counties, The Middle East and other hot and dry places. The bush is also grown in Florida and California for his ornamental appearance and often grows to be quite large, ranging from six to twenty feet in some cases. The lance- shaped leaves from the bush are harvested, dried and then crushed to make the henna powder. Henna is used for hair dye, as a skin conditioner and as a reliever for rashes. The art of mehendi is referred to as henna or mehendi depending on where you are and which name you feel came first. No matter what you call it though :- the art form remains essentially the same as it was centuries ago. It is beautiful the way it stains the skin!



Mehendi is not the huge commitment that tattooing is because of its temporary nature. For people who are too scared to endure the poking of a needle or are too ambivalent to commit to wearing the same permanent design forever :- mehendi is a wonderful alternative. I would suggest that anyone who is hesitant about getting a permanent tattoo :- try walking the streets with a henna design for a couple of weeks first. It helps you discern if you can accept the constant backward glances and whispers that you often hear when you are in public as a decorated person. Henna also allows you to play around with designs until you find one that you are comfortable with and then you can get it permanently etched into your skin if you want to. Some people like permanency while others are much more comfortable with temporary forms of body art. Regardless of how you use henna to decorate your body ; the main idea is to have fun.

Mehendi designs have traditionally fallen into four different styles. The Middle Eastern style is mostly made up of floral patterns similar to the Arabic textiles, paintings and carvings and do not usually follow a destinctive pattern. The North African style generally follows the shape of the hands and feet using geometrical floral patterns. The Indian and Pakistani designs encompass more than just the feet and hands and generally extend further up the appendages to give the illusion of gloves and stockings which are made up of lines, paisley patterns and teardrops. Lastly, the Indonesian and Southern Asian styles were a mix of Middle Eastern and Indian designs using blocks of color on the very tips of their toes and fingers. All of these styles remain popular today but have also been joined in popularity by celtic designs and chinese symbols. The point once again is to have fun with designs and experiment with them until you find something that you feel really passionate about.


n India, it is used at celebrations like weddings and other special occasions which are traditionally associated with transcendence and transformation. It is used for worship and work but not for the sake of vanity. It is traditional for the bride to get together with her friends and have them spend hours applying the henna to her skin and give her marriage advice in tandem. The patterns used for weddings are much more intricate and time consuming (than the everyday wear) and therefore the bride's friends have lots of time to give her advice on erotic activities for her wedding night, sexual pointers and tips during the hours that it can take to complete the design. The bride's henna must be more beautiful and intricate than anyone else's of course since it is, after all, her special day. Another interesting fact is that the bride has good reason to look after her henna for she is not expected to partake in housework until the henna is gone. This means that she will not be rubbing, scrubbing or tubbing a lot unless she really loves doing work at home.