Mehndi ……. Indian Tatoo Culture..
Where
ever I see the GenX of today believe in stamping their bodies with the green
ink Tatoos in designs and sizes of varying sizes and on various body parts . Be
it a gentle butterfly or a chain like design on the ankles to the massive Macho
eagle or a Shiva tattoo on the biceps or delicate designs on the back of the
neck. Some etching the names of their beloveds on their forearms in simple to
Gothic fonts. Its supposed to be their expression of their inner voice. An act
of rebellion against traditions , I guess.
But
long before the West adopted this body etching art , we Indians have been known
to use the art of tattooing in our daily lives . In tribal culture a women
getting married or newly married would go to the village tattoo artist and who
would prick the skin on their forehead with small pin sized dots or write the
name of her husband across her forearm. The process was called Godhana
literally meaning etching.
But
since this left a lifetime of green mark on the skin it was difficult to think
it as a decorative or beatifying process. That was left to the all time
favourite custom of the women “The Mehndi”. Even the western culture today
acknowledges Mehndi as the best ever non-permanent tattooing process.
The art of henna (called mehndi in
Hindi & Urdu) has been practiced for over 5000 years in Pakistan,
India, Africa and the Middle East. There is some documentation that it is over
9000 years old. Because henna has natural cooling properties, people of
the desert, for centuries, have been using henna to cool down their bodies.
They make a paste of henna and soak their palms and soles of
the feet in it to get an air conditioning affect. They feel its
cooling sensation throughout the body for as long as the henna stain
remains on their skin. Initially, as the stain faded away, it
left patterns on the skin surface which led to ideas to make designs
for decorative purposes.
In the ancient Egyptian times mummies
wore henna designs and it is documented that Cleopatra herself used
henna for decorative purposes.
Henna was not
only a popular adornment for the rich but the poor, who could not afford
jewelry, used it to decorate their bodies as well.
Today people all over the
world have adopted the ancient traditions of adorning their bodies with the
beautiful natural artwork created from the henna plant. It became a
very popular form of temporary
body decoration in the 90's in the US
and has become a growing trend ever since. Celebrities like Madonna,
Gwen Stefani, Yasmine Bleeth, Liv Tyler, Xena, and many others proudly adorn
their bodies with henna and show them off in public, movies, videos, etc. People
throughout the west have adopted the eastern tradition in their lives by having
their hands and feet painted for weddings, bellies
painted while in pregnancy, heads adorned with henna while going through
chemotherapy, scars camouflaged to
make them unnoticeable, etc.
Henna (Lawsonia inermis, also known as hina, henna tree, mignonette tree, Egyptian privet) is a flowering plant that grows 12-15 feet high and
comes from the sole species of the Lawsonia genus. The English name
"henna" comes from the Arabic
(ḥinnā). The name henna also refers to the dye prepared
from the henna plant and the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes. Henna has been
used for centuries to dye skin, hair, and fingernails, as well as fabrics
including silk, wool, and leather.
Henna henna was used for cosmetic
purposes in the Roman Empire,
Convivencia-period Iberia and Ancient
Egypt, as well as other parts of North
Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Near East and South
Asia. It can be found in other hot climates like Pakistan, India and
Australia. The plant grows best in dry heat climatic regions and contains
more dye at these temperatures. It also
grows better in dry soil than damp soil. The leaves are small and in
pairs .The flowers are fragrant, with four white petals. The fruit is a dry
capsule, containing numerous seeds.
The henna plant contains lawsone
which is a reddish-orange dye that binds to the keratin (a protein) in our skin
and safely stains the skin. The stain can be from pale orange to nearly
black depending on the quality of the henna and how well ones skin
takes it. A good henna, fresh from hot & dry climates, will stain the
darkest.
For body decorations, the leaves of the
henna plant are dried, crushed into a fine powder, and made into a creamy paste
using a variety of techniques. This paste is then applied to the skin,
staining the top layer of skin only. In its natural state it will dye the
skin an orange or brown color. Although it looks dark green (or dark
brown depending on the henna) when applied, this green paste will flake off
revealing an orange stain. The stain becomes a reddish-brown color after
1-3 days of application. The palms and the soles of the feet stain the
darkest because the skin is the thickest in these areas & contain the most
keratin. The farther away from hands and feet the henna is applied, the
lesser the color. The face area usually stains the lightest. The
designs generally last from 1-4 weeks on the skin surface depending on the
henna, care and skin type.
Henna works on all skin types and colors.
It looks just as beautiful on dark skin as light skin but because some
people skin may take the dye better than others, it can look more prominent on
one and not as much on another (even lighter skin). But nevertheless,
henna is a symbol of beauty, art, and happiness and is meant for EVERYONE!
Because henna
acts as a sunblock, there is an added benefit to having henna designs in the
summer. For those who love to get a tan It leaves tan lines! In
order to benefit from this, it is best to get a henna design, let its natural
color stay on for 3-5 days and then go and get a tan. This way you can
enjoy the natural henna color on your body, the henna color with the tan, and
then tan lines in the shapes of the design (once the henna fades away)!
The tan lines last as long as the actual tan!
With
the Wedding Season just beginning the Mehndi ritual attains top priority . Indian
marriages are known for their many rituals. In fact, the beauty of Indian
weddings comes forth in the numerous traditions that are associated with the
special celebration. Indian weddings are incomplete without dance, music and
lots of laughter. Furthermore, Indian weddings are not a one day ceremony.
Pre-wedding ceremonies begin before the wedding and can sometimes be a week
long celebration.
Among
the many traditions that are infused into Indian weddings, one of the most
prominent is the mehndi ceremony. This is the day when mehndi is applied on the
hands and feet of the bride and even the groom. While the bride has a very
elaborate pattern done on her hands and feet, the groom usually has just a
token design. Mehndi is a very important part of both Hindu and Muslim weddings
in India. In fact, application of mehndi is a custom during any celebration in
India, be it Karva Chaut, Teej, Diwali, Ramzan or any other festival.
It is a common belief that the darker the color the mehndi
leaves on the hands on a bride, the more will she be loved by her husband and
mother-in-law. However, the significance of applying mehndi during weddings is
not restricted just to sentiments and beliefs. Although these beliefs make the
application of mehndi a much anticipated and charming tradition, the actual
reason is of much deeper significance, which is sometimes forgotten in the
present day.
Besides
lending color to the hands, mehndi is a very powerful medicinal herb. Weddings
are stressful, and often, the stress causes headaches and fevers. As the
wedding day approaches, the excitement mixed with nervous anticipation can take
its toll on the bride and groom. Application of mehndi can prevent too much
stress because it cools the body and keeps the nerves from becoming tense. This
is the reason why mehndi is applied on the hands and feet, which house nerve
endings in the body. Also, being a highly antiseptic agent, mehndi can protect
the couple from viral diseases. Such diseases are totally undesirable just
before the wedding and this medicinal herb can lend a strong shield. Any small
cuts, burns or scratches that the couple might sustain during the course of so
many rituals and customs can be healed easily with the application of mehndi.
It improves blood circulation in the body and enhances general health. The
initial practice of applying mehndi in ancient times began in order to protect
the couple and keep them healthy.
Mehndi
that is applied during Indian weddings is not just a plain paste of mehndi
powder and water. Eucalyptus oil, a bit of clove oil and a few drops of lemon
are added. These oils not only help in darkening the color of mehndi on the
body, but also enhance the benefits of mehndi and make the paste highly
medicinal. The best part is that the smell, the beautiful rich color and the
health benefits that mehndi lends act as a powerful aphrodisiac. Also, since
the color and smell remain for days, it boosts the romance in the initial days
of wedding.
Over
the centuries, mehndi has become so ingrained in Indian tradition that today
the mehndi ceremony is one of the major celebrations before the wedding. A
family member or mehndi expert applies mehndi on the palms and feet of the
bride. Elaborate designs are applied on the hands with a cone filled with
mehndi. While the mehndi is being applied, other members of the family play the
traditional dhol and dance to its beats. Every female member of family gets
mehndi done on her hands and feet. The entire mood of a mehndi ceremony is
extremely festive.
The mehndi ceremony takes place at the bride’s place and usually, it is held a couple of days prior to the wedding. It is a night ceremony which is accompanied with relatives, music, laughter, food and a lot of fun.
The
mehndi ceremony for the groom takes place separately at his home. The bride and
groom do not usually get decked up very elaborately at the time of the mehndi
application, and their ensembles are very simple. Once the mehndi for the bride
is done, the female relatives of the bride, especially her sisters, visit the
groom’s ceremony. It is great fun as the would-be sister-in-laws play pranks on
their future brother-in-law and try to get some money from him as a tradition!
It is a very happy occasion for both the families. Traditional songs and music
characterize the ceremony from the beginning to the end.
Although
times have changed and a lot of new inclusions have been made in Indian
weddings, the significance of the mehndi ceremony has grown in stature. Many
families bring in DJs to play songs and celebrations that go on until late in
the night. If something has changed about the ceremony, it is the designs and
patterns. While only intricate Indian designs were traditionally applied in the
past, brides today are experimenting with Arabic designs and Indo-Arabic
designs and mixing shimmer pastes along with the traditional mehndi paste. Semi
precious stones are also embedded in the design. It is traditional to write the
name of the groom on the bride’s palm. In some regions, this is also a small
ritual after the wedding. The groom is made to search for his name, which is usually
smartly written so as not be readily visible.
The
mehndi ceremony is a reflection of the rich Indian culture, bringing together
the knowledge of medicinal herbs with many lovely sentiments and beliefs. The
result is a ceremony filled with fun and joy and the perfect precursor to the
auspicious wedding day.
So
this wedding season enjoy India’s greatest gift to cosmetics and indulge in
some mesmerizing designs and feel free to express yourselves through this
ancient and beautiful natural art of body decoration.
No comments:
Post a Comment