The Magic of Mehendi
Mehndi is a form of body art that originated in ancient India, where a paste made from dry leaves of the henna plant was used to decorate the body. The use of mehndi and turmeric is described in the earliest Hindu Vedic ritual books. It is now an important part of South Asian and certain Middle Eastern traditions, a practice that has been in place for a minimum of 5000 years.
Mehndi also known as henna, has a good use apart from decorative purposes. It provides an instant cooling sensation on application. Not only that many, including me love the aroma it has besides the way in which it beautifies the body. It is not only used to decorate hands and feet but also use to dye the hair to a deep brown tinge, thus acting as a natural colour. Besides, anything natural is always good.
Culturally, it is an important part of special occasions like weddings. So much that there is an event called mehndi before the event dedicated to this. The friends and family of the bride and groom come together and the ladies decorate their bodies with henna. It is said to hold a cultural significance as it is believed that mehndi having positive effects shall bring goodluck to the couple. It is said that the darker the stain the better the marriage and the better the mother-in-law will be, okay that’s probably just a myth.
The designs generally last from 1–4 weeks on the skin surface depending on the henna, care and skin type. The palms, soles of the feet, and other rough areas like the knuckles stain the darkest. Repeated washing can fasten the disappearance of the stain. Apart from the fact that it is natural, it might not suit everyone. Some might catch a cold even due to the cooling effect. Moreover like every other product, even henna can come laden with chemicals this making it necessary to be careful while buying it.
Having looked at different designs since childhood, I have always been eager about applying henna on my body since it is quite fascinating to see how this item works wonders to beautify the skin. Hence I have now started to make out time on festive occasion and other events to apply henna atleast on my hands, trying out different designs. Here, on the auspicious occasion of Gauri Puja, I tried applying it on my hands. It is said that applying henna on Gauri Puja or Ganesha Chaturthi makes it stain better and darker ( Might be due to factors like climate.).
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to everyone.❤️
