Leisure - - Posted on September, 18 at 6:03 pm
Many believe that Mehendi, Mendi or Hena the traditional art of decorating hands and feet was introduced to India by the Persians or the Arabs. In medieval India. But references to Mehandi as Madayantika are found as early as the Gupta period. Whatever be its origin, it is now an integral part of celebrations like marriages and festivals like Nagpanchami and Karava chauth. In North India applying Mehendi to the bride is a special occasion and an important part of the week long marriage ceremony.
The name actually stands for the shrub with the scientific name Lawsonia inermis. The leaves of this plant when crushed to form a paste and applied on the body leave a brownish orange mark and a fresh beautiful fragrance. Initially this paste freshly ground was smeared on hands and feet. It was also applied with a stick forming thick lined traditional designs of flora and fauna and auspicious symbols.
detail of design on handNow a days the art of creating and applying mehandi has reached a level of sophistication. Generally the powder of the dried mehandi leaves readily available in market is used to prepare the paste. A lot of other ingredients are added to enhance colour and fragrance.
Here is the method for preparing the paste and the cone to easily create complicated and intricate designs.
detail of design on handFirst sieve the powder with a muslin cloth. This is necessary especially if you are going to use a cone. Add water in the paste and mix well to form paste without lumps. The paste may be as thick as the cake batter. Cover the container and keep it overnight. If you are in a hurry at least one hour is essential. To make a Mehandi cone twist a plastic sheet in a cone form leaving a very small hole. Fill the cone with the paste and tightly seal the upper end. Practice with the cone on a sheet so as to get idea of the exact pressure necessary to squeeze out the paste in a thin line. Start with a smaller design and go on expanding till the palm is covered.
Applying mehandi with a cone needs a lot of practice. If you don not mind thick lines and crude designs at the beginning you may try and apply the paste with a toothpick or a knitting needle. To be a little innovative you may try making a pattern with adhesive tapes and apply the paste on top of it. The area covered with tape will remain untouched while the remaining palm will be coloured dark brown.
The mehandi paste has to remain on the hand overnight to get a good colour. If it is not possible one has to keep it at least for four hours. If it dries due to the body heat, apply a mixture of lemon juice and sugar to keep it wet. When removing the dried paste do not wash it with water or soap; just scrape it off and apply a little oil. If it is untouched by water for another four hours the colour will deepen and will remain for a longer duration.
The design may take different shades from light orange to dark maroon reaching almost to black. The colour depends on the quality of the powder, body-heat and the time allotted to the effort. On palms usually one gets the best shade, on the back of the palms and forehead appears a lighter shade.
To obtain a dark shade, which lasts longer one can try following things:
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