Mehndi

Mehndi is the Hindu word for the henna designs that Indian women, especially brides, have applied to hands, arms, feet, and lower legs. I've had it done twice on my hands so far and this weekend, two other women in my building and I (TyAnne and Jenn), had ours done. Another example of home delivery! TyAnne and Jenn both have a woman come every week to give them or their husbands a massage. This woman told TyAnne about friends of hers that are very good in Mehndi and would she like them to come by. So, TyAnne arranged for them to come Sunday evening and we had a Mehndi party. We had a wonderful spread of snacks, wine and G&Ts, while two women applied Mehndi to our feet and my hands.

"The henna used for mehndi comes from a bush called Lawsonia Inermis which is part of the loose strife family and is grown in the Sudan, 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." (http://www.essortment.com/mehendi-36043.html)

After the Mehndi is applied, it takes about two hours for it to dry and start to flake off. What this means is you can't walk around much if it's on your feet and if it's on your hands...well, you have to have a "helper" do everything for you. When Suzy and I had this done in Rajasthan, Greg and Ryan had to help us with bags and shaws when we went to an evening dance performance. Greg helped me this time by getting me a straw for my G&T and feeding me a cookie. He really likes doing this and can't wait until the next time I have Mehndi applied! :)

The women who applied the Mehndi were very good and fast. They've been doing it for ten years now. For a bride, four people work on her (one per limb) and it takes four hours! That is super detailed. I was told this week that having Mehndi on your feet is usually a sign you are engaged and the darker it is, the more you husband and/or your mother-in-law loves you. The thing with this is the three of us have a huge advantage with our white skin. So, all the Indian women at ASB were telling me how much Greg loves me and giggling. Very cute.