Mehndi

Mehndi is an ancient form of body adornment that dates back to the 2nd century BCE. It is a way of temporarily covering the skin in a variety of patterns using a mixture of henna and water called mehndi. The mixture is applied using small piping bags. Often, patterns are very intricate and detailed. It can take hours for very complex patterns to dry, as this is the only way that the mehndi will work properly. Once the mixture is dry, it is then washed off, leaving an orangey brown stain in the shape of the pattern that was painted on. This lasts for approximately 1 week, but it can last longer, depending on how long it was left on for and how often that area of the body is washed.

Many young Asian women practise the art of mehndi from a very young age. Often, there are mehndi parties just before Muslim, Sikh and Hindu weddings, where women take it in turns to adorn the feet, hands, arms and face of the bride to ensure she looks beautiful for her wedding.

If you look at the picture of the Indian Pot, you can see how art has influenced the way that women produce patterns for mehndi.

Many of the sinuous patterns are heavily influenced by the art of Muslim, Sikh and Hindu cultures. The Indian Pot shows the curving floral patterns often found in mehndi, the figures shown on the pot match the figures of the women who wear the mehndi. Sumna Begum says that mehndi is a fundamental part of her life, and is always a big part of wedding ceremonies. “The mehndi enhances the ‘Asian-ness’ of the bride...even if she was born and raised in England, her wedding day is a total homage to her cultural past. Mehndi is just one small part of this.”