History Of Henna

Henna Shrub

Henna is a red temporary dye used as a form of skin decoration, most popular in South Asia, the Middle East,North Africa and Somaliland as well as expatriate communities from these areas. It is typically employed for special occasions, particularly weddings. It is usually drawn on the hands and feet, where the color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin, with which the colorant of henna, lawsone, enters a permanent bind.Henna powder is derived from a plant actually a bush,Lawsonia inermis.The bush is harvested,dried,and then crushed to make henna powder.

There is much speculation as to the first origin of the use of henna. What is known for sure is that henna has been used as a cosmetic, as well as for its supposed healing properties for at least 5000 years. Centuries of migration and cultural interaction has made it difficult to determine with absolute certainty where the tradition began. Some scholars claim that the earliest documentations of henna use are found in ancient Indian texts and images, indicating that mehendi as an art-form may have originated in ancient India. Others, however, state that the use of henna was taken to India by the Moguls in the 12th Century C.E., centuries after use in the Middle East and North Africa. Still others insist that the tradition of mehendi originated in North Africa and the Middle Eastern countries during ancient times. Henna use has also been documented in ancient Egypt, where it is known to have been used to stain the fingers and toes of the Pharaohs prior to mummification. It is also possible that the similar use of henna for skin decoration in these regions arose independently and perhaps simultaneously, and this could account for the difficulty in pinpointing an exact birthplace of mehendi art.

The art form of applying henna (known as mehendi) varies from region to region, this ancient practice has spanned many cultures and traditions. Like all symbols, the varying designs often mean different things to different cultures. It's thus possible to recognize distinctions in cultural style. Arabic designs are generally large, floral patterns on the hands and feet. Whereas Indians (from India) traditionally use fine thin lines for lacy, floral, and paisley patterns which cover their entire hands, forearms, feet; interestingly this is often performed as part of a pre-marriage ritual.

In recent popular culture, mehndi has enjoyed a renewal. Western musicians and Hollywood personalities adopted and altered the tradition so that mehndi, as a temporary, pain-free body decoration alternative to tattooing grew to be seen as hottest new fashion accessory among women and men.