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The art of Mehendi has existed for centuries. The
exact place of its origin is difficult to track because of centuries of people
in different cultures moving through the continents and taking their art forms
with them and therefore sharing their art with everyone along the way.
Some historical evidence suggests that Mendhi started in India while others
believe it was introduced to India during the twelfth century A.D. I personally
feel that it would be hard to argue the fact that it appeared as an art form in
Egypt first.
Proof has been found that henna (MEHENDI) was used to stain the fingers and toes
of Pharoahs prior to mummification over 5000 years ago when it was also used as
a cosmetic and for it's healing power. The mummification process took 70 days
and as the Egyptians were diligent in planning for their deaths and their
rebirth in the afterlife, they became quite obsessed with the preservation
process. The Egyptians believed that body art ensured their acceptance into the
afterlife and therefore used tattooing and mendhi to please the gods and
guarantee a pleasant trip.
The henna used for Mehendi comes from a bush called Lawsonia Inermis which is
part of the loose strife family and is grown in the Sudan, Egypt, India, most of
the North African counties, The Middle East and other hot and dry places. The
bush is also grown in Florida and California for his ornamental appearance and
often grows to be quite large, ranging from six to twenty feet in some cases.
The lance- shaped leaves from the bush are harvested, dried and then crushed to
make the henna powder. Henna is used for hair dye, as a skin conditioner and as
a reliever for rashes. The art of mehendi is referred to as henna or mehendi
depending on where you are and which name you feel came first. No matter what
you call it though :- the art form remains essentially the same as it was
centuries ago. It is beautiful the way it stains the skin!
Mehendi is not the huge commitment that tattooing is because of its temporary
nature. For people who are too scared to endure the poking of a needle or are
too ambivalent to commit to wearing the same permanent design forever :- mehendi
is a wonderful alternative. I would suggest that anyone who is hesitant about
getting a permanent tattoo :- try walking the streets with a henna design for a
couple of weeks first. It helps you discern if you can accept the constant
backward glances and whispers that you often hear when you are in public as a
decorated person. Henna also allows you to play around with designs until you
find one that you are comfortable with and then you can get it permanently
etched into your skin if you want to. Some people like permanency while others
are much more comfortable with temporary forms of body art. Regardless of how
you use henna to decorate your body ; the main idea is to have fun.
Mehendi designs have traditionally fallen into four
different styles. The Middle Eastern style is mostly made up of floral patterns
similar to the Arabic textiles, paintings and carvings and do not usually follow
a destinctive pattern. The North African style generally follows the shape of
the hands and feet using geometrical floral patterns. The Indian and Pakistani
designs encompass more than just the feet and hands and generally extend further
up the appendages to give the illusion of gloves and stockings which are made up
of lines, paisley patterns and teardrops. Lastly, the Indonesian and Southern
Asian styles were a mix of Middle Eastern and Indian designs using blocks of
color on the very tips of their toes and fingers. All of these styles remain
popular today but have also been joined in popularity by celtic designs and
chinese symbols. The point once again is to have fun with designs and experiment
with them until you find something that you feel really passionate about.
In India, it is used at celebrations like weddings
and other special occasions which are traditionally associated with
transcendence and transformation. It is used for worship and work but not for
the sake of vanity. It is traditional for the bride to get together with her
friends and have them spend hours applying the henna to her skin and give her
marriage advice in tandem. The patterns used for weddings are much more
intricate and time consuming (than the everyday wear) and therefore the bride's
friends have lots of time to give her advice on erotic activities for her
wedding night, sexual pointers and tips during the hours that it can take to
complete the design. The bride's henna must be more beautiful and intricate than
anyone else's of course since it is, after all, her special day. Another
interesting fact is that the bride has good reason to look after her henna for
she is not expected to partake in housework until the henna is gone. This means
that she will not be rubbing, scrubbing or tubbing a lot unless she really loves
doing work at home.
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