Among all the pre wedding ceremonies among Hindus, Mehendi is the most exciting one. It is all about art and creativity and brings in a sense of upcoming beauty in the Bride’s life. Out of all the solha shringars, Mehendi forms a significant one. According to the ritual, the bride does not step out of the house after this ceremony. Mehendi ceremony is essentially organized by the family of the bride and is usually a private affair which takes place in the presence of friends, relatives and family members.
Origin Of Mehendi:
Mehendi is extracted from a plant named Heena which is a small shrub and is found in tropical climates. The leaves and flowers of the plant are turned into a thick paste and used to draw these beautiful body arts. Reference to uses of henna can be traced back to the Bronze ages. In the bible, henna is referred to a Camphire. In and around the Indian subcontinent, henna has been used as a cosmetic even before Vedic ages. References of henna during the mummification process of Pharaohs as well as anecdotes of the famous queen Cleopatra using henna to paint her body are well-known in history.
Rituals on Mehendi Ceremony:
The Mehendi Ceremony takes place a day before the wedding. The bride and the groom’s family observe this ritual separately at their own residences. Not all cultures of Hinduism have the ritual of putting Mehendi on the Groom. In some regions the Mehendi comes from the Groom’s family along with all the other solha shringars, sweets and dry fruits.
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Mehendi is now days celebrated with great pomp and show where people dance and sing and celebrate. Mehendi is applied on the front and back of her palm, forearm, till above the elbows, and on the feet till below the knee are more elaborate and depending on what the bride prefers. Other female members also apply henna.
Science behind Mehendi Ceremony:
Indian weddings are famous as ‘Big Fat Wedding’. Reason being they involve a hell lot of rituals and many days of arrangements and functions. These wedding days become very hectic and tiring for every family member and especially the bride and the groom. Hence, Mehendi is said to act as a stress reliever. Henna is known for its cooling properties and is supposed to calm a person’s nerves when applied to the hands and feet. Well, see how intelligent our ancestors were!
Mehendi is also used to predict the future by many. You must have heard this very common and exciting discussion among people about the color of the Mehendi in the hands of the girl. It is believed that the intensity of the color of the Heena in the hands of the bride decides how good her future and love life will be in the future. The dark orange color depicts good future whereas people say that lighter the color the less love the couple generate. Well, Indian rituals are very interesting and stay tuned to learn more such amazing facts!
By: +Prof: Koti Madhav Balu Chowdary
