Mehendi patterns !!

A combination of geometrical and floral patterns is used in this decorative art.

Decorating the hand and feet with the application of henna or mehendi is symbolic of the auspicious occasion. Besides decorating the hands and feet it is a popular dye to color hair too. It is also used as a home remedy for various minor ailments. .

Preparation and Application

• A fine paste is prepared with the mehendi powder and black tea or coffee to increase the intensity of coloration.
• In the past, mehendi was applied with the help of small sticks. But today, plastic cones are used instead of stick and the mehendi paste can be pressed out in the shape of a fine strand through its nozzle.
• After the formation of design, the mehendi is allowed to dry, for more intense and durable coloration it should be kept for five to six hours.
• During this time the drying paste is prevented from flaking off by periodic dabbling of cotton soaked in a mixture of lemon juice and sugar.

To make a Mehendi cone,

Ingredients:

One pack mehendi powder,

strong black tea - in enough water to make a thick paste,

eucalyptus oil - 1 teaspoon

Sieve the dry mehendi powder and add all the above mentioned ingredients and keep it for seven hours. Then fill the paste into a thick plastic cover and tie it tightly. Make a small hole with a pin at the tip of the cone. The fine mehendi paste can be squeezed out in a thin strand.

Zardosi mehendi :

By this method one can sport beautiful designs on the hands and feet with different colors according to the persons choice in 30 minutes.

The art of putting zardosi is the same as mehendi- a specially prepared black henna is filled in a paper cone. With this the design is drawn on the hand and feet. After twenty minutes it can be washed off. This leaves a black imprint which can be later filled with different colors, nail polish, glitter sprinkles etc. to make it more colorful. This gives a tattoo effect on the hands and feet, and it lasts only for a few days.