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What is Mehndi ?
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, Pakistan, 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.
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