Mehndi Design

Origin of Henna

Mehndi is a ceremonial art form which originated in ancient India. Intricate patterns of mehndi are typically applied to brides before wedding ceremonies. The bridegroom is also painted in some parts of India. In Rajasthan, the grooms are given designs that are often as elaborate as those for brides. In Assam, apart from marriage, it is broadly used by unmarried women during Rongali bihu (there are no restrictions to the married ones). Henna is also common in some gulf states, specially Yemen, where the night before the wedding night is dedicated to decorating the bride with henna, and called "Henna night".

The origin of Henna is difficult to track. It is one of the most famous cosmetic and is almost accepted by every culture, ethnicity, religious or spiritual beliefs. It is hard to determine from where the tradition began but strong evidence in history is found as to its being started by Neolithic people in CatalHuyuk, in the 7^th millennium BC. They used henna to decorate their hands in connection to one of their fertility goddess. The use of Henna was then later adopted by Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The mutual aspect of this tradition is the Henna plant itself. The plant can only grow in a constricted environmental range. The climate puts an exclusive set of stressors on human populations, and the Henna tradition recurrently replicates anxieties related with these stressors.

Henna is mainly used on special occasions, ceremonies or celebrations around the globe. The traditions and practices were made according to the people’s beliefs and needs. These traditions amalgamated or moved through cultural diffusion; at times they became inventive at the time of wealth and leisure, and sometimes they disappeared because of cultural or climatic change.
The origin of Henna is hard to outline. There are many conflicting stories presented as to where Henna was first used. However, as a simple plant it is found in many different parts of the world; especially at places with hot climate. It is mainly famous in Hindi and Muslim countries. In West it is used as a momentary alternative to a life-long perpetual tattoo.

Countries where Henna can be found include Pakistan, Iran, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Morocco and India. The color of Henna varies according to the origin and the quality of the plant grown. The regular dyeing properties in Henna are tannins.
Henna has several names varying from the origins it is found in. Some of them are Mehndi (Hindi), LawsoniaInermis (Latin), and Henna (Arabic). The synonyms includeAl-Khanna, Al-Henna, Jamaica Mignonette, Egyptian Privet and Smooth Lawsonia.

Before the modern era, Moroccan villagers applied henna for Id al-Adha, circumcision, and the “Night of the Henna".  This paper establishes the common ground of these events, and the importance of henna in the celebrations, based on eyewitness accounts from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Henna paste is usually applied on 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 employed. The painted area is then wrapped with tissue, plastic, or medical tape to lock in body heat, creating a more intense colour on the skin. The wrap is worn three to six hours, or sometimes overnight and then removed. When first removed, the henna design is pale to dark orange in colour and gradually darkens through oxidation, over the course of 24 to 72 hours. The final colour is reddish brown and can last anywhere from one to three weeks depending on the quality and type of henna paste applied, as well as where it was applied on the body (thicker skin stains darker and longer than thin skin).

women applied henna to cover the palms of their hands, soles of their feet and to stain their own fingertips and fingernails, and it wasn’t considered an art because almost anyone could do it.

In the modern age, usually people buy readymade Henna cones, which are ready to use and make painting easy. However, in rural areas in India, women grind fresh henna leaves on sil (grinding stone) with added oil, which though not as refined as professionally prepared henna cones, brings much darker colors.

 

Bridal henna is one of the oldest and most widespread henna traditions.  Bridal henna traditions originate in late Neolithic fertility religions in the eastern Mediterranean, and spread from there across many countries: from the west coast of Africa east to Malaysia and Fiji, from South Africa north to Armenia.  Bridal henna is done in the same way by Muslims, Christians, Jews, Roma, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, and Hindus in the countries where henna is available enough to be a tradition.