For thousands of years the art of using henna for body decorating has remained one of Asia’s best secrets. Its captivating and alluring effects have always been greatly admired. It is not until later that the popularity of henna has spread to the western world.Yet western traditions of mehendi designs are quite distinct from eastern design. Hence, mehendi has favored as a fashion trend with modern styles of tattoos, glitter, black mehendi and a variety of different colors.

Typically, mehendi was used to decorate the hands and feet of women for ceremonious and celebratory occasions such as for wedding and mehendi parties. All types of women, regardless of their backgrounds, use henna. You’ll find mehendi being used more often on mehendi night, also known as the Chura ceremony. The groom’s family would supply the henna from the bride and female relatives. The henna would be carried over with candles and dancing, the ceremony often serving as an icebreaker between the two families.

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Henna is more than just a cosmetic paste, its cultural and traditional worth making it a part and parcel of many festivals. From weddings and engagements to religious occasions, all remain more or less incomplete without it. Asides its aesthetic element, henna is believed to hold special medicinal value. It is said to soothe dry skin, heal certain skin diseases, and reduce swelling. Even beverages are concocted out of it for stomach cramps and headaches.
An Indian wedding is incomplete without a mehendi ceremony. Henna symbolises fertility, and at weddings, depicts the love between a husband and wife. It is said that the name of the groom is hidden within the intricate design on the bride’s hand, and the wedding night cannot proceed until he is able to find it.

In Morocco, doors of new homes are painted with a coat of henna to usher in good fortune and to act as a talisman against evil.

Dating as far back as Egypt during ancient times, where it was known to have been applied to the toes and fingers of the deceased Pharaohs before mummification. The paste is even used to ward off evil spirits.

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Mehndi is the art of creating designs on the skin using henna paste. These designs can be applied in different parts of the body.Initially henna was applied in these countries to cool the body in the hot summers. Dots are applied on the palm of the hands of both men and women to cool the body. As time passed the users of henna began drawing patterns, which over a period of time became intricate designs that are popular today.

Mehndi body art has been practiced for centuries in the Middle East, India and in some parts of Africa. Though generally mehndi is thought of as a woman’s forte, men in all the countries have practiced it as well.

The different cultures gave rise to different style of mehndi and different methods of application. Intricate and fine line designs were developed in Pakistan and India. Geometric patterns and designs became the specialty of Morocco. In Africa bold geometric shapes and patterns became popular. Mehndi patterns are applied with the help of gold rods, plastic cones, plastic bottles with tips, syringes and toothpicks etc. Today mehndi art has become a means of expression for the Mehndi artists.

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Henna and tattooMehendi 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.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.

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Leave the paste on as long as up to 8 hours (or more if you can stand it). The longer the paste is kept on, the darker the design will be. After you peel of the paste, dip a Q-tip in some olive or Avocado oil and take off the remainder of the dry paste. Do not expose your new design to water in the first 24 hours after the design has been applied as the colour is still in its darkening process.
Your design should last at a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 4 weeks depending on the thickness of the epidermis of your skin and on where the design is located.The less exposed to water, soap or rubbing, the longer the designs will linger.

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Just like turning a functional container into an elegant crystal vase, so have humans transformed an herbal medication into beautiful body decoration.So many unique and practical uses of the henna plant logically lead to the cosmetic application we know today.Though traditionally a woman’s art, mehndi is not limited to the female. There are many rituals that do include men. And in the modern Western world, it is not unusual to see a man with intricate henna tattoos, or even a male mehndi artist.

Trade routes and religious missions took the henna plant from Greece to Egypt and North Africa, to Arabia and India, Tibet, Persia and Spain.Though recipes and designs vary from region to region, the basic purpose of mehndi remains the same; henna tattoos are a celebration and protection.Each culture embraced the plant in its own unique way.Henna provides a reason to get together, to slow down, enjoy life and to honor the things that make us special.

They are always present during holidays and festivals, weddings, pregnancies and births, and especially during the hottest days of the summer.

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The art of henna began in the hot climates of the Eastern Mediterranean. Its first uses include a medicine and coolant to soothe the skin that was exposed to the intense desert heat, as well as a textile dye.
*The leaves, stems and seeds were pulverized and perhaps added to fragrant liquids to condition dry hair and callused skin, to act as a natural sun block, and most importantly, to keep the body’s temperature low. When thickly applied to the palms or soles of the feet, henna seems to magically draw out heat. For this reason, henna is also used to combat headaches and fever.

*Ancient healers found the henna plant to be an excellent antiseptic as well. It protects against surface bacteria and fungi, and thus was applied to nails (especially after pregnancy), small cuts and burns.

*Additionally, various formulas of henna have been used to heal insect bites, dry sores, and toughen skin against abrasion and blistering. Henna reduces sweat and has also been known to help fight mild infectious disease.

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The Henna plant is one of the most fragrant flowers on earth. Widely cultivated in tropical countries but probably native to North Africa and Asia. It is widely naturalized in the West Indies and Mexico where it is known as “mignonette”. Its leaves produce the henna or alhenna of the Arabs (cyprus of the ancients), a yellow/red die which is used in Egypt and elsewhere by women to color their nails, and by men to die their beards, and for other similar uses including horses manes and tails. It is known in the West Indies as “Egyptian privet”, and sometimes as “reseda”. It is the camphire of the authorized version of the Bible.

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Traditionally, along with the lovely and exotic costuming, jewelry and makeup, dancers would wear special Mehndi designs on their hands to draw more attention to their movements. Mehndi, the use of henna to stain the skin in India, can be incorporated into ones costume today as well quite easily. There are two ways of going about this. One way is to use real henna to stain the skin and leave a tattoo (or temtu) which can stay apparent for up to three weeks. The other way is to use a body-paint, makeup or special fake Mehndi method

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HENNA POWDER is a natural base for hair coloring & conditioning and body decoration products. It is being used extensively as a raw material to make a variety of Henna products for use on Hair, Face & Body, in an easy to use form so that we can induce the natural properties of Henna in our daily life.

Henna prevents premature graying of hair and is used for hair nourishment, making the hair shiny and smooth. Henna plates and protects the hair shaft while acting as a cooling agent for head.

Henna contains a red-orange pigment, lawsone, which stains the hair & skin. Henna powder is applied to hair or skin in a paste form, the lawsone molecule migrates to the outermost layer of the hair ( cuticle ) or skin ( epidermis ) and stains it.

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Mehndi application – self practice

Rashmi Jain practicing mehndi / henna – self practice.
(Hands & Feet)

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Decoration of hands and feet with mehandi, heena, symbolic of good luck in married life, is a notable feature of the folk aesthetics in Rajasthan. A sticky paste is made by mixing a little water with the aid of a match-stick. A fantasy of delightful patterns are thus created, which when dried, leave rich red designs printed on the skin.
Although there is a large variety of patterns, the one called chowk is amongst the most popular with the womenfolk. Literally meaning a courtyard, there are various forms of this pattern, a different one for each different occasion.Thus, there is a specific design of chowk for the Gangaur, another for the Teej, and yet another for Holi and other festivals.
Amongst other favorites are chopper, representation of a game which is played by throwing dice and is symbolic of conjugal love; pankhi or beejani meaning a hand-fan, a typical design for the summers; and, lahriya meaning a wave or a ripple, the most popular pattern in the rainy season.

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African mehndi patterns are bold, large geometric designs, usually black.African Mehendi style generally has geometrical floral patterns. After the henna paste is removed Africans apply a blackish paste of ashes, ammonia compounds and other corrosives to get the henna stain to turn out blackish. This is poisonous and is not a recommended procedure as there have been reported deaths from this procedure. We can only assume the reason they would go to these risky lengths is the natural color that henna stains, dark brown to dark orange, does not show up as well on very dark skin.

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Expression, Fun, Painless, temporary tattoos with desired pattern and intricate designs.Like permanent tattoos, a lifetime commitment to your mehndi design is not required as the designs fade over time in generally 1 to 4 weeks. But longevity will depend on where your design is on the body,the skin type and how long the paste was left to set. The less exposed to soap, water and rubbing, the longer your design will last. Many celebrities have been seen wearing mehndi designs and general awareness of the art form has increased due to articles in national magazines, publications and television broadcasts.

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Mehendi ceased to be just a traditional mould of designing long ago. Today, there are different patterns that come under four main categories, mix-and-match and fusion designs. Arabic, Marwadi, Indian and black outlines are the major and well-known categories.

While Arabic designs comprise a huge leaf and three to four flowers, Marwari designs are thin patterns where the entire hand is filled without a single gap. The other designs comprise kalash, doli, peacocks, mangoes, parrots, etc.

The magic of mehendi in all its glory and glitter continues to enthrall. So, next time you are all set for a party, remember that there are many options for you to have the best and flaunt it all.

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The art form of henna (Arabic) or mehndi (Hindi) varies from region to region. Varying designs have a different meaning for members of each culture, such as good health, fertility, wisdom, protection and spiritual enlightenment. While Arabic henna designs are usually large, floral patterns on the hands and feet, Indian mehndi involves fine, thin lines for lacy, floral and paisley patterns covering entire hands, forearms, feet and shins.

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The application of henna to the body is neither painful nor poisonous. When used in body decoration, henna can be thought of as an organically-derived temporary tattooing. Henna simply a method of drawing various designs on the skin without the use of needles. As the skin absorbs and reacts with the henna powder, the skin is actually stained for a period of up to four weeks. Because henna is a natural stain, it can’t be rubbed off or removed with soap and water.

The dye, which is permanent on fabric or wood, lingers anywhere from 2-12 weeks on skin, depending upon the quality of the henna, its reaction with an individual’s skin and the care taken to preserve the design.

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Used to pay homage to the body, cosmetics and perfumes were also essential to the Indian woman, whose duty it was to appear alluring to her lover. Staining the nails, skin and hair with henna is the favorite way of enhancing beauty amongst women in the Middle East also. In the famous Indian treatise on love, the Kama Sutra (compiled between 100 and 600 C.E.) women are advised to learn the arts of tattooing and of “coloring the teeth, garments, hair, nails, and bodies.” Cosmetics also served as an emblem of class rank or caste; the placement of facial adornments separated the upper castes from the lower. Many Indian women still use cosmetics in the ancient way; eyelids are tinted with an antimony-based dye, the face and arms are stained yellow with saffron powder, and the soles of the feet are reddened with henna.

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The application of henna is considered auspicious and lucky,
but is not required as a sacrament in any religion. Henna is a cosmetic women use to make themselves attractive, for good luck and as a part of looking their best, rather than as a sacred decoration for a spiritual purpose. Henna is part of the social celebration of life’s events: weddings, births, naming ceremonies, festivals and is very frequently used between the women of a family to strengthen friendships and family bonds. Henna is nearly always regarded as beautiful, blessed and lucky. Women
have changed the use of henna every time it has moved from one country to another to suit their tastes, needs and sense of beauty.

It is certainly a part of wedding traditions for women and men, best known in the “night of the henna” parties. Hindus use it as a part of preparations for weddings, as well as throughout the Islamic world. Sephardic Jews used henna in a night of the henna party, and in Armenia, Christian women and men also adorn themselves with henna.

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Hindus often use the term ‘Mehendi’ interchangeably with marriage, and Mehendi is considered among the most auspicious ‘ornaments’ of a married woman. There’s nothing strictly sacred or spiritual about it, but applying Mehendi is considered beneficial and lucky, and always regarded as beautiful and blessed. That is perhaps why Indian women are so fond of it. But there are some popular beliefs about Mehendi, especially prevalent among women.

Mehendi is extremely suitable for creating intricate patterns on various parts of the body, and a painless alternative to permanent tattoos.

Mehendi is not just a way of artistic expression, sometimes it’s a must!Even the groom’s hand, especially in Rajasthani weddings, is decorated with Mehendi patterns.

The reddish brown color of Mehendi – which stands for the prosperity that a bride is expected to bring to her new family – is considered most auspicious for all wedding-related ceremonies.

A deeply colored design is generally considered a good sign for the new couple. It’s a common belief among Hindu women that during the nuptial rituals the darker the imprint left on the bride’s palms, the more her mother-in-law will love her.A bride is not expected to perform any household work until her wedding Mehendi has faded. So wear it dark and deep!

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It is true that hair dyes contain chemicals that may damage hair in the long run but that does mean that there is no hope for people with gray hair. Our very own Mehendi is a very good alternative.Here are a few pointers to help you colour gray hair the right way:

* First of all always use Mehendi of a good quality.

* Soak mehendi overnight in an iron vessel and then use it the other day.

* If you wish to give your hair a reddish tinge, add ‘katha’ to it. Or boil and add grated beet.

* If you want a bronze effect, add coffee powder to mehendi. You can also add oil to the mehendi paste.

* For jet black hair, soak Amla overnight and then add this to the mehendi paste and keep this overnight in an iron vessel. Apply it the next day.

If you do not want to colour your hair and only want to use it as a conditioner, then oil your hair before applying it and leave it on only for an hour or so.

Wrap a cloth around your shoulders and use gloves to apply mehendi in order to avoid soiling your clothes. Take care that mehendi does not touch your ears or face, or else the colour won’t go for some days.

For best results, do not shampoo your hair after applying mehendi. Rinse your hair with plain water.Apply hair oil and keep it overnight.Shampoo your hair next day with a good quality shampoo which have a colour fixing composition in it.

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Mehendi, a common shrub is known to have been in use in all parts of the world since time immemorial. The traditional way of painting hand and feet with mehendi is still popular especially among brides. The application of mehendi is an art that is fascinating and exciting . A combination of geometrical and floral patterns are used in this decorative art.

Decorating the bride’s hand and feet with the application of henna or mehendi is symbolic of the auspicious occasion. Besides decorating the hands and feet it is a popular dye to colour hair. It is also used as a home remedy for various minor ailments.

In North India, application of mehendi is a common custom. For them this is an auspicious day before the wedding.

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Mehndi is the traditional art of adorning the hands and feet with a paste made from the leaves of the henna plant.

The tradition of mehndi originated in the Middle East and Northern Africa. It has been practiced for at least 5,000 years, applied for both artistic expression and ceremonial use. Now becoming popular in the western world, mehndi is a rising trend among men and women alike. It is a temporary, pain free, and inexpensive alternative to tattooing

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Henna is a plant that grows in hot climates and can be found in most Middle Eastern countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt and India. The henna plant can grow 8 to 10 feet high and its leaves are dried, crushed and ground into a powder. The natural dyeing properties found in Henna are tannins, this is what allows the henna (when mixed with other ingredients) to temporarily stain the skin. While henna is the plant, Mehndi is the traditional art of decorating the hands, feet, & shins with a Henna paste.

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Henna loves heat. Once the paste has been applied, use a blow dryer to warm it up. Be careful not to have the heat turned up too high as you may burn yourself. Using lemon/sugar to get the henna to “stick” to your skin is one method, another is glitter glue. This is a combination of peel off facial gel and skin friendly kids glue. I add a bit of glitter to give it some bling.

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