Types of Henna

Mehandi has been a part of Indian culture and tradition for nearly 50 centuries. Legend has it that the Mughals introduced mehandi to India, but many believe it originated in India itself. Mehandi, also called henna, is present in many cultures. It is made using the leaves of the cypress flower, also called henna. It derives its name from Latin name in Arabic Lawsonia Inermis, pronounced as "hinna."

The henna leaves are crushed and made into paste which is applied to the skin with a cone, paint brush, or even with a metal-tipped bottle which is also used for silk-painting. The darkness of the henna is directly proportionate to the duration it takes to dry. The longer it stays on the skin, the darker it becomes. After removing the residue, it looks orange initially, but after 24-48 hours of oxidation, the color changes to a darker brown.

A mehandi ceremony is an important ritual of most weddings. It is said that mehandi enhances the beauty of the bride and its fragrance adds a sensual touch to her which attracts her beloved. Mehandi is also attached to a belief that the dark color is symbolic of the husband's love: The darker the color of the mehandi, the more your husband loves you. The mehandi ceremony is a fun time for women, where the bride gets intricate patterns painted on her hands, arms, feet and legs to add to the beauty of her wedding outfit. Mehandi is an essential element of Solah Shingar; it can be applied in a plethora of designs.

The Indian Design
The traditional Indian design of mehandi is like a story running from the arm to the finger tips. They range from simple to complex designs. They vary from a dot in the centre of the palm, to a figure at the back of the hand, to even the figures of a bride and a groom.

The Arabian Design
The Arabian design is bold and spacious because it doesn't fill the whole hand. It distinguishes itself from other designs in that it has only outlines. It has intrepid floral patterns with vines and leaves. This style only uses a small amount of mehandi and dries quickly.

The African Design
The African style of mehandi truly represents its rustic culture of wildlife with bold and intricate patterns of geometrical shapes. At times, it also contains holy animals and symbols significant to different tribes of people. The distance between the lines is not as spacious as the Arabic style, and looks a lot like mesh on the hands and feet.

With the changing trends, traditional mehandi has also adapted to new styles like the Zardosi Mehandi. In today's fast-moving world, women don't like to spend hours applying mehandi, waitit for it to dry and removing the residue. For them, zardosi mehandi is the best style. It is embellished with gold or silver zari, colourful bindis, pearls, and so on. It is like a ready-to-use stick-on mehandi.

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