Mehndi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mehndi (or Henna) is the application of henna (Hindustani: हेना- حنا- urdu) as a temporary form of skin decoration, in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Somalia as well as expatriate communities from these areas. It is typically employed for special occasions, particularly weddings. It is usually drawn on the hands and feet, where the color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin which binds permanently to lawsone, the colorant of henna. The tradition of Henna started in India in the early days when bridal decoration was scarce. Henna was used as a form of decoration mainly for brides.
Henna paste is usually applied to the skin using a plastic cone or a paint brush, but sometimes a small metal-tipped jacquard bottle used for silk painting (a jac bottle) is used. Henna can be bought at a store in a plastic or paper cones. The painted area is then wrapped with tissue, plastic, or medical tape to lock in body heat, creating a more intense color on the skin. The wrap is worn overnight and then removed. The final color is reddish brown and can last anywhere from two weeks to several months depending on the quality of the paste.
The patterns of mehndi are typically quite intricate and predominantly applied to brides before wedding ceremonies. However, traditions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sudan sometimes expect bridegrooms to be painted as well. In Rajasthan (north-west India), where mehndi is a very ancient folkart, the grooms are given designs that are often as elaborate as those for brides. In Kerala (southern India), henna is known as mylanchi and is commonly used by the Mappila (Muslim) community during weddings and festivals.
In Arabic and Persian speaking countries, such as Morocco, it is done for any special occasion. It is done during the seventh month of pregnancy, after having the baby, weddings, engagements, family get-togethers, as well as many other reasons to simply celebrate an event.
Mehndi decorations became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s, where they are sometimes called "henna tattoos". This term isn't accurate, because tattoos are defined as permanent surgical insertion of pigments underneath the skin, as opposed to pigments resting on the surface. Likely due to the desire for a "tattoo-black" appearance, many people have started adding the synthetic dye PPD to henna to give it a black color. PPD is extremely harmful to the skin and can cause severe allergic reactions resulting in permanent injury or even, in the worst case, death.
 Mehndi on a hand |
 Another intricate Mehndi pattern |
