Mehndi – An ancient art to beautify

For centuries, mehndi, the art of henna painting on the body, has been practiced in India, Africa, and the Middle East, where the henna plant is believed to bring love and good fortune, and protect against evil. Mehndi is traditionally practiced for wedding ceremonies, during important rites of passage and in times of joyous celebration.
A paste made from the crushed leaves of the henna plant is applied to the skin, and when removed several hours later, leaves beautiful markings on the skin that fade naturally over 1 to 3 weeks.
Besides being the key ingredient in mehndi, henna has also been used to dye the manes and hooves of horses, and to colour wool, silk, and animal skins, as well as men’s beards. Studies of mummies dating back to 1200 BC show that henna was used on the hair and nails of the pharaohs.
In Guyana, mehndi artists are widely sought after by Hindu brides who want to decorate their hands and feet with henna. The divine, feminine look of mehndi designs makes it so significant that now there is a night before the Hindu wedding that is allotted “mehendi night”, usually the Thursday before the wedding, where the bride and other females gather to get their hands and feet adorned with this ancient art.
Local mehndi artist Anita Singh, in an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, said she enjoys coming up with creative designs, and although she gets paid for it, her mehndi art is therapeutic as it is something she loves doing.
The satisfaction from the brides and others who are impressed with the mehndi designs is what motivates Anita to continue and develop her art.

“A couple of years ago I attended a mehndi night, which sparked my interest in the art. I just picked up the henna cone, without practicing any design, and started drawing. Many were impressed with my talent when I was done and asked me to do theirs. I snapped a picture of what I had done and uploaded it to Facebook. I received an overwhelming response. Now I get many requests to do mehndi for brides,” Anita disclosed. The artist has done much research on mehndi art, which helps in conceptualizing more intricate designs. Her aunt brought a book from India on mehndi, which helped Anita to develop other excellent techniques.
Learning from the basic to the complicated, Anita encourages anyone who wants to get into this art form to do their research and practice regularly so as to perfect their skills.
She said she would usually draw the designs on paper first, which helps her to be as creative as she can. After practicing the designs on paper, she then replicates them on hands and feet, which take about 2 hours to complete.
“I design both feet and hands for weddings only. It’s part of my culture and I love the art form, and seeing my work after I’m done is fulfilling. I’m always practicing. I import my mehndi from India or the U.S., which is a better quality. I would also squeeze lime juice on the design, which helps it to stay on longer,” disclosed the self-taught mehndi artist.
Anita said to date the most designs she has done is for 45 girls in one night. Her most challenging design was done recently where she incorporated the Hindu god, Ganesh, in her mehndi design as requested by the bride. Although it was a challenge, Anita felt satisfied after she saw the finished product.
Although her art keeps her busy, mehndi is not her only pursuit as a businesswoman.  “Sometimes my mehendi work takes me until 3 in the morning, but I’m always up for 9 to open my store. I specialize in mixing and matching jewellery accessories with any outfit. This styling aspect of my personality I also enjoy doing apart from mehndi. I started my business from selling from a box. Now I have my own boutique where I also practice my mehndi designs. I think having the patience and discipline are what helped me to develop self-confidence to pursue my dreams and to be creative. I encourage other young girls out there to do the same. Know what you would love to do and pursue that. When you do something you love it will never feel like work,” Anita urged.  (Excerpt from Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)