Henna in India By Maisha Loveday, Annabel Diong, & Hannah Blackburn-Jones

Henna is used in many cultures, and those cultures use Henna for different reasons. A culture that uses Henna is the Hindu religion in India. Mehndi is the Hindi word describing the process of painting patterns on the body with henna paste.

Henna is applied with cones, and Henna comes out in a thick dark paste, which is then drawn into designs, and is left on the skin to dry. Then it stains the skin and last up to a few weeks. Henna paste is originally made by hand, and had no chemical properties.

Henna, which is mostly used with women represents luck, prosperity and goodwill in their marriage and life. Different symbols represent different things, and different cultures have different designs, for example, in the Mehndi culture, peacocks and mangoes represent love and fertility. Other designs include arches, flower nets, leave chains, and more.

Henna has many important uses, it is mainly used during wedding ceremonies. Two or three days before the wedding ceremony, the women gather together for the Mehndi Ceremony. Everyone’s hands and feet get decorated with henna, the bride’s Mehndi patterns are the most elaborate and covers the tops and palms of her hand, leading up to the arms, and is the same with the feet and legs. It is thought to bring good luck in her marriage, and is the first gift from Husband to Wife.

Henna comes from henna plants (Lawsonia inermis) It doesn’t need any chemicals for it to work properly. Henna grows through most of India, because the climate is relatively hot and dry, this is why it used often during traditional celebrations because it isn’t imported. The art is influenced by what materials are available in the Indian environment.. Various shades of Henna are procured by mixing its paste with the leaves and fruit of other plants, such as indigo, tea, coffee, cloves and lemon

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