HENNA - A HERBAL BEAUTY ART

 

Henna refers to the tradition of body painting with a paste made from the powdered, dried leaves of the henna plant which is otherwise known as mehndi. 

Henna is a paste associated with positive spirits and good luck. Indian Wedding tradition calls for a Mehndi ceremony to be held the night before the wedding as a way of wishing the bride good health and prosperity as she makes her journey on to marriage. Mehendi represents the holy bond of matrimony and is therefore, considered a shagun (sign of good luck). It signifies the love and affection between the couple and their families. 

The Hindu marriage season is a special time for Henna tattoos or 'Mehendi. ' Hindus often use the term 'Mehendi' interchangeably with marriage, and Mehendi is considered among the most auspicious 'ornaments' of a married woman. 

Mehndi-or mehendi or henna-is an ancient form of body art, originating in India and across South Asia and the Middle East. A Mehndi party is the pre-wedding celebration in Hindu and Sikh culture when the bride has the red-orange mehndi "stain" applied to her palms, back of hands, and feet.

Henna has reportedly been used for body art for at least 5,000 years and has a long history of migration and cultural interaction. Some scholars claim that the earliest documentation of henna uses is found in ancient Indian texts and images, indicating that mehandi as an art form may have originated in ancient India. 

The art of Henna—called mehndi in Hindi and Urdu—has been practiced in Pakistan, India, Africa, and the Middle East from age old days. It was originally used for its natural cooling properties for the people living in hot desert climates. 

Today, Henna is mainly used in celebration of special occasions such as weddings and birthdays in the joyous gathering of people. The Henna paste symbolizes good health and prosperity in marriage, and in some cultures, the darker the henna stain, the deeper the love between two individuals.

Because of the staining quality, Henna has been used to create body art designs and also to dye hair.  Mehndi paste is usually applied to the skin using a plastic cone, a paintbrush or a stick. After about 15–20 minutes, the mud will dry and begin to crack, and during this time, a mixture of lemon juice and white sugar can be applied over the henna design to remoisten the henna mud so that the henna will stain darker.

These cover the forearms, hands and the feet and ankles of the bride and include lotus and Moghul flowers, sunflowers, lilies of the valley, roses, daisies, irises, mangoes, vines, leaves, drops, waves, spirals, paisley motifs, stars, tendril patterns, nets and elements of jewellery.

The core significance of applying Mehndi is to utilize its natural medicinal herbal remedies, cooling the body and relieving the Bride of any stress before her big day.

Finally henna art - the way of applying mehndi  adds beauty and provides health benefits too. 

(This blogpost is a part of BlogChatter's #BLOGCHATTERA2Z2023)