Mehendi...

The art of Mehendi is an age old tradition in various parts of the world and more so in India / Asian countries.

Henna powder is derived from the plant of "Lawsonia inermis" and is usually a bush. The leaves of the plant produce molecules called "Lawsone" and this is the molecule that binds with the protein in the skin to give the reddish color. This color stays on the skin till the pigmented cells of the skin degenerate and peel off.

Henna is used for various other purposes like hair treatment, hair conditioning, reducing body heat to name a few.

My Interest...

Coming to my interest in the art form of Mehendi, I was 12 or 13 when I was first intrigued by this art.

I loved the Mehendi designs I used to see and always wanted someone to draw them on my hand. It always turned out that either people drew a few lines on my hand or not even that.

This was the time when I wanted to learn the art myself. I started this as a hobby. I messed up a few times like any self taught person and then with time I grew better.

I have not made use of this art/hobby for commercial purposes, but yeah, couple of brides  have trusted me with their hands and I have applied bridal mehendi for them.

Visit the mehendi gallery here.

How To...

How to prepare the henna paste

• Take about 1 heaped tbsp of henna powder. Using a cloth sieve this powder so that only the fine powder remains. This is the most important step in the process. If this is not done right, there will be hitches while applying the mixture on hand.

• Heat about a cup of water and 2-3 tsp of tea powder. Continue boiling till the mixture reduces. Let it cool down. Now use a cloth to sieve this instead of the usual filter. This is to make sure that only water is added and not the tea powder particles.

• To the henna powder, add about 10ml of eucalyptus oil. This gives the paste a very good aroma.

• Add 1-2 tsp of lime juice and mix.

• Now slowly add the tea concentrate prepared above as needed while mixing. The consistency of the paste should be a little thicker than toothpaste. Make sure to leave no lumps behind.

• Keep this aside for about 4-5 hours for the henna to settle down.

• Apply this henna on the hand or feet with the help of a plastic cone, a stick or anything you wish!

Tips...

Tips on applying henna and its removal

• Apply the henna with a plastic cone to draw thin lines and intricate designs.

• While applying or when done, the applied henna dries, dab it with cotton dipped in a mixture of lime juice and sugar.

• The color sets in, in the first couple of hours, but let it stay for about 5 hours before removing it.

• Do not use water while removing the henna. You can scrape it off by rubbing your hands together. When almost all of it is gone, you can use very little water to get rid of the sticky feeling.

• After this, heat a frying pan and add 5-6 cloves in it. Place your hands above the vapors coming from the frying pan (be careful not to burn your hand :D)

• Apply some eucalyptus oil if available and you like the smell of it.

• Avoid touching water or soap for the next 8-10 hours.

• The color will darken a couple of shades from its first color.