Mehndi is a festive wedding tradition that has held strong in South Asian culture.  Typically, women gather and join the bride by getting this decorative art on their hands and feet prior to a Hindu, Muslim or Sikh wedding.  Mehndi went mainstream during the late 20^th century because of stars like Madonna and Demi Moore.  Although Mehndi is very commonplace today, the history and evolution of this beautiful art form is still unknown to many.

Mehndi has been around for centuries and likely originated in the Middle East.  It was brought by the Mughals to India in the 12^th century.  During that period the royal and rich used Mehndi to decorate themselves.  It became very popular and women wore patterns characteristic of that time period on both their hands and feet. 

Today mehndi is no longer limited to folk art designs and is sported by both women and men.  These days popular wedding mehndi includes floral and paisley patterns, which symbolize fertility and love.  Gemstone embellishments are also very popular for brides.

Over the years, many superstitions developed around brial mehndi.  For example, it is said that when a bride has mehndi done for her wedding, the darker the design, the more her mother-in-law loves her.  It is also common for the names of the bride and groom to be hidden in the mehndi design; and the wedding night cannot commence until the groom has found the names.  Moreover, a deep colored design is said to be a sign of good luck for the new couple.

The Mehndi tradition has held strong throughout time and continues to be a component of many happy occasions.  Stay tuned as CitySaheli will report mehndi tips and the newest designs in the upcoming months!

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