Mahendi - The Art Of Painting With Henna

Painting with henna – mahendi, is as old as the Vedic culture itself. For rituals and ceremonies, hands were painted in circles and mandalas symbolizing the sun Surya - Narayana. Adepts demonstrated their desire to awaken their inner spiritual vision and enlighten their existence. The pursuit of beauty and harmony in ancient India is connected with the idea of ​​God. Called Bhagavan (“the most perfect”) and Krishna ("all-attractive" ), he is considered a reservoirof beauty in the universe. Therefore, the noblest  people in the past studied 64 arts to create a way to connect with the divine. One of them is the art of decorating the body with natural pigments and dyes - mahendi. We can encounter is asmehndi, mehandi, but the root is one - the Sanskrit word for miracle plant "mendhika" (latin Lawsonia inermis).

Applied to the skin, henna colorsin different shades of red - from orange through deep red to brown. Saturation of color shades depends on many factors:

• the quality of henna itself

• what essential oils are added to the paste for painting

• how long the paste stays on the skin

• room temperature

• the amount of melanin and collagen in the skin.

The plant iitself"mendhika"isgrown and cultivated in warm climates, primarily in Africa, South Asia, Australia and so on. The technology for the preparation of henna for painting requires skill - finely grindedplant is mixed with lemon juice, black tea, eucalyptus oil, camphor oil, etc., depending on the effect you're looking for. Basic requirement is the already homogenous mixture to stand in a warm place for at least several hours before you use it onthe skin.

In modern India, henna paintingaccompanies every major religious festival and joyful event. Even it is a part of a larger pre-maritalceremony called sanjita. Known as the "night of henna", this festival gathers women from the family of the bride and groom to dot theirarms and legs for the most important day in the life of every girl. This ritual allows both families to get to knoweach other, it takes away the stress of hectic wedding preparations and the bride spends quality time with the present and future family. Arms and legs of the future bride are decorated to the knees and elbows, turning them into a work of art. Mahendi is associated with love and fertility. Thereforethe belief is that the darker and more luridthe pictureandthe longer it remains on the skin, the greater the love between spouses.

In traditional India mahendi intertwinessymbols and motivesbearing Sattva - auspiciousness, purity and good karma. Mandalas, lotus flowers, peacocks, fish, turtles, sacred plants as " Tulasi " cover the palmsand feet .                                                                                          

In Africa and the Middle East painting with henna has been a very important ritual in the life of every woman. During menses, the woman was considered unclean, fragile and prone to diseases. Evil spirits (jinns) or the evil eye can easily penetrate the subtle energy of the woman and cause diseases and mental disorders. Therefore, shewas forbidden to visit temples or participate in rituals. On the seventh day of the cycle ​​specialpurifying ritualwas performed. Muslim women went to the public bath "hamam" where under the running water they washed their physical and energy pollution.

Then they appliedhennaon thehair, hands and feet. Henna wasa symbol of purity, health, joy. Woman painted with hennawaswearing visible symbols showing tothe community and her husband thatsheis pure, strong, in good spiritual, emotional and physical health. Henna brings "baraka" - bliss that protects from misfortune.

Drawings made ​​onthe7-8 day of the menstrual cycleareshowing theirgreatest intensity after 2-3-4 days, just as thewoman is with hermost powerful reproductive capabilities (time of ovulation).

In Africa, women usedhenna as a protective mechanism against the evil eye and spirits,to purify their bodies in order to preserve the health of theirskin and hair. Often in the motives of African peoplewecan see triangles, a symbol of an eye, which counters evil and malevolent glances.

Besides ritual, decorative and sacred use, henna has proven curative effect in Ayurveda. Applying it on the fingertips prevents peeling cuticles and breaking nails. Vegetable tannin contained in the plant is associated with the protein of the skin, making it healthy and elastic, even rejuvenated. In India, you can often see women to color their feet in red, long ago they have discovered the properties of henna against crackingof the skin.

Henna is a wonderful meansfor calming and reducing Pita dosha(the fire energy in the body). Very effectively it soothes headaches, fever, hysteria. Also, henna has antiseptic and antibacterial properties, so it is successfully used against fungi, bacteria and lichen.

Author:Stela Hristova

The article was published in “Yoga for all” magazine