Everything you want to know about Mehendi!
MEHNDI
Henna leaves are green and crushed into powder to make henna paste. Oils, other natural ingredients, and the application of heat can increase the depth of color to dark brown, deep coffee, or a brownish black. Mehndi body art can last one to two weeks or longer.
In India, mehndi is a form of beautification much like makeup or jewelry. While it can be worn routinely, it plays an important role in special occasions, such as weddings. Two days prior to the wedding date, the bride commonly attends a mehndi party thrown by friends. The bride’s hands are decorated from fingertips to elbows, and her feet are also decorated to the knees. Traditionally, the groom’s name is hidden somewhere within the mehndi body art, and he try to find his name for fun.
In my website there are different kinds of design I represent.
Anklet designs - These designs are done around the ankle because during the wedding ceremony, parents wash the feet of both the bride and the groom and the anklet designs ornament the feet.
Arabic designs - Arabic designs are more of a modern design and have no significance behind it. Examples of Arabic designs are flowers, mangos, leaves and any sort of shape and design that comes to the artist mind. This is primarily done for fun and fashion.
Traditional Bridal designs - The primary symbols of a traditional Indian wedding are musical instruments otherwise known as “tabla” and “sharnai” and the coconut, which is used primarily during the wedding ceremony. Bridal designs are traditional designs which are done for the bride prior to the wedding day and the designs incorporate these symbols. Other symbols are peacock, bride and groom and god faces.
Henna Tattoos / Color designs - Color designs are a more modern design and are similar temporary tattoos. People like to do these either on their hands or various parts of the body and can be long elaborate designs or a small tattoo. People will often match these to their outfits. The only downfall of color designs is that some people may have an allergy to the dye and it often pulls the skin when you take it off because of the glue tendency.
Quick Designs - Quick designs are done for henna parties where the artist creates designs that come to their mind and does not reference any book.
Links: Dipti's Website: BridalHennaArtist.com
