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Mehndi or henna! What is the first thought that comes into your mind when you think of mehndi? Well of course weddings! What is a wedding without mehndi !? Yes, for all of you who don't know, henna or mehndi, which you know as temporary tattoo art actually originates in Southern Asian countries where it has a very different significance. Mehndi or henna in the Asian and Middle East countries is thought to be a very auspicious sign. It is applied by women of all age on the commencement of some happy occasion. And what can be a bigger occasion than a wedding. In a wedding, the application of mehndi is a must in most Indian marriages and to be honest  all the females attending the marriage, especially the bride’s friends are always looking forward to this part of the celebrations.

To put it plainly, mehndi is dried henna leaves paste which imparts a natural red dye on the skin or medium on which it is applied. The color of the dye intensifies with heat and hence the color of mehndi is generally richer a day after application as the body temperature provides it the heat required by the dye.

All mehndi designs are unique in their own way. Even if they look similar, just the thickness of the lines can make the design look different. But the mehndi designs for weddings are exclusive. If you closely see the hands and feet of a bride, you'd notice various figures or motifs associated to marriage made using designs. The most often found is the ‘shehnai and dhol’ design. These are instruments which are played during marriage and they represent the commencing of ceremonies. Another motif is the ‘palki’ design in which the little palanquine is made in which the bride departs her house post marriage. And of course the ‘Dulha dulhan’ motif which shows the bride and bridegroom taking the vows. Not just this, there are different designs even for the engagement and other ceremonies of the wedding. If you check the market, you can find books of designs only on bridal mehndi designs. Wow!

In Indian marriages, mehndi artists are specially called in groups to come and apply mehndi to all the female guests. In some communities, even the men get a small tattoo applied as a mark of their participation in the ceremonies. The one applying mehndi to the bride is generally the hed who has mastered complicated designs. The bride’s mehndi generally takes 5-7 hours to be done! Now that requires some patience!

Most mehndi designs are made using floral patterns, leaves, vines, mango, peacock and figures. In between these, to add some symmetry and design, loops, checks and dots are added as fillers.

So the next time you attend an Indian or middle East wedding, do get a henna tattoo done as it is not only beautiful but also holds a significance.

Hope this article was interesting and informative to you. Stay tuned for more such posts and do comment below!