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Henna and Mehndi ...
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Articles:
What is Mehndi?
Mehndi is the traditional art of adorning the hands and feet
with a paste made from the finely ground leaves of the henna
plant. The term refers to the powder and paste, and the design
on the skin, as well as the party or ceremony. Henna is a
small shrub called hawsonia inermis, and is also know as Henne,
Al-Khanna, Al-henna, Jamaica Mignonette, Mendee, Egyptian
Privet, and Smooth Lawsonia. Henna grows in hot climates and
is found in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Persia, Syria, Egypt,
Morocco, Sudan and other North African, Asian and Middle Eastern
countries. The leaves, flowers, and twigs are ground into
a fine powder, then mixed with hot water. Various shades are
obtainable by mixing with the leaves of other plants, such
as indigo. Tea, coffee, cloves, tamarind, lemon, sugar, and
various oils are also used to enhance the colour and longevity
of design.
There
is much speculation as to the first origin of the use of henna.
What is known for sure is that henna has been used as a cosmetic,
as well as for its supposed healing properties for at least
5000 years. Centuries of migration and cultural interaction
has made it difficult to determine with absolute certainty
where the tradition began. Some scholars claim that the earliest
documentations of henna use are found in ancient Indian texts
and images, indicating that mehndi as an art-form may have
originated in ancient India. Others, however, state that the
use of henna was taken to India by the Moguls in the 12th
Century C.E., centuries after use in the Middle East and North
Africa. Still others insist that the tradition of mehndi originated
in North Africa and the Middle Eastern countries during ancient
times. Henna use has also been documented in ancient Egypt,
where it is known to have been used to stain the fingers and
toes of the Pharaohs prior to mummification. It is also possible
that the similar use of henna for skin decoration in these
regions arose independently and perhaps simultaneously, and
this could account for the difficulty in pinpointing an exact
birthplace of mehndi art.
Mehndi
(or mehendi or mehandi or mylanji) is the application of henna
(Urdu: ???) as a temporary form of skin decoration, most popular
in the south Asia, middle east and north Africa as well as
expatriate communities from these areas. It is typically employed
for special occasions, particularly weddings. Read
the rest
Articles:
History of Mehndi
Origins:
Egypt
- 5000 thousand years ago the egyptains were already dying
the Hair and Fingernails of their dead with Henna.
India - In the 12th century Mehndi (indian word for
Henna) was introduced to India by the Mogulmonrachie. In the
beginning Mehndi was only used by the rich and ruling families.
Soon also the simple volk found pleasure in it. As more people
were using Mehndi, the recepies and patterns became more refined.
Persia- In persian art from the 13th and 14th century,
women and dancers where displayed whose hands have been decorated
with Mehndi. Arabian countries also like to use Mehndi for
it's cooling properties.
Islam- The Moslems use Mehndi since the beginning of
the Islam. It is said, that the Prophet Mohammed colored his
beard and hair with Mehndi. Mehndi is still being used for
dekorative bodyart.
Mehndi
as a Wedding art
On oriental
weddings, Mehndi is a must. The evening before the wedding,
the Mehndi is applied. All girlfriends and female familiemembers
of the bride, get together and celebrate. Traditional songs
are sung to give the Bride good luck.In a few Religions the
Mehndi ceremony is verly ritualised. In on religions for instance
the Mehndi application can only start after the mother in
law has applied the first mark on the hand of the bride. It
is belivied that, the intesity of the Mehndi reflects the
love of the bridegroom for the bride. Traditionally the name
of the bridegroom is worked into the Mehndi pattern of the
bride.
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