Mehndi or Mehendi or Mehandi, which ever combination word you know it by but it all refers to the same thing. I may use all different words at different places in my writings going forward, so, do not be confused for this.
The word Mehndi is derived from Sanskrit word Mehndika, which typically comes from a herb called as Henna. The Henna leaves is known to leave stain marks on wherever used, not only on human skin also on clothes, papers etc.
But because of this color leaving nature on substances and it is also natural and good for human body, it has been used to make temporary body art which is known as Mehndi Design.
When written in Hindi it sounds all the same but when written in English some people also write it a Mehendi Deisng or Mehandi Design. If you read it, it all sounds the same but it is just a matter of difference in writing.
Well, this is just a very brief introduction to Mehandi design. It has actually many more good things to do on human body which is also a primary reason for people to use this. I will cover more on this in the coming sections I will also write about all different Mehendi designs used across the world.
I will not cover any history over here, but I will definitely start from why do people wear Mehndi Designs on hands and legs.
Why do people Put Mehandi on Hands and Legs
If you hear people saying that this is tradition, than that is not a complete answer. First of all, why that tradition was made? In this section I will put as much information as possible to make you educate Mehndi is not just a design but it also has some cool health benefits as well.
Health Benefits
The very first reason people make use of Mehndi is because this helps keep the human body cool. All we know that the human body is warm in nature and we do what not to keep it cool all the time.
We drink a lot of water, we eat various foods, water rich vegetables and fruits etc. throughout the year.
During the wedding time, both the Bride and the Groom tend to be in some new journey which may develop some mental stress. Hence, putting Mehndi on Hands and Legs is one way to keep the harmony of the body temperature.
In addition, the Mehendi also keeps bacterias and infections away from human body. Hand and legs are the two body parts that comes in contact of various external things all the time. That is the reason many put Mehendi in the Monsson season otherwise known as Asadha Masa on hands and feet.
Mehndi Design Enahances your Beauty
Not just because of health benefits, people also wear Mehndi on several social occasions like Weddings, traditional functions like, Diwali, Eid, Karva Chauth etc.
This actually adds up to your natural beauty and it looks really great on anyone.
Hands and legs are the most visible parts in human body after wearing clothes, that is the reason we wear Mehendi on those body parts and no other.
Any Mehndi design you put on your hands, sometimes it shows your personality as well. Because not a lot of ladies have time to wear mehndi, but if you do you definitely stand out among all those.
A Social Trend
Mehndi is something that almost everyone wears regardless of any socioeconomic status. But recently it has become more commonly used in various social events. Modern weddings now have a Mehandi rasham where all the ladies put different kinds of Mehndi Designs.
People celebrating several functions or events usually put Mehandi together.
In Indian tradition typically Mehendi is applied during weddings and festivals like Karva Chauth, Vat Purnima, Diwali, Navraathri, Durga Pooja and Teej etc. on various parts of the country.
Muslims in South Asia also apply mehendi during their weddings, festivals such as Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha etc.
That’s obviously not all where people apply Mehndi but that’s pretty much the bigger picture. In addition many college going girls also apply on day-to-day life. With this note I am covering this chapter here.
How to Make Mehndi Designs
If you are a beginner and want to do it on your own for the first time then here is a simple guide for you.
The very first design is a simple dot Mehndi design. To create this design, all you need to do is make a small dot on the center of your hand or feet or palm. You can then add more dots around it to create a flower-like design. This design is perfect for those who want something simple and elegant.
If you want something a little more intricate, you can try out the spiral Mehndi design. To create this design, you need to start from the center and spiral outwards. You can also try adding different patterns in the spiral to add more things to the design.
If you are looking for something really unique, you can try out the paisley Mehndi design. For this design, you need to start from the base of your hand or feet and create a whirlpool-like shape. You can then fill in the gaps with different paisley patterns. This design is perfect for those who want something unique in the design.
Now that you already know the basics, let’s move to the next section to explore the several Mehndi Designs that you either already knew or never knew existed.
Types of Mehendi Designs by Region
There a total of some 8 types of mehendi designs if we go by country of origin.
Indian Mehndi Design (Bharwa Mehndi Design)
Traditional
Significance
Floral
Bridal Mehndi
Dholki, Palki, Bride, Groom
Pakistani Mehandi Design
Mandala Art
Arabic Mehndi Design
Minimal and bold art work
Moroccan Mehndi Design
Typically uses geometric patterns, curves and shapes
African Mehndi Desgin
In this design several
Western / Contemporary Mehandi Design
These designs are treated as tattoos, or it is designed as if like you are wearing some ornaments etc.
IndoWestern Mehndi Design
IndoArabic Mehndi
As the name suggests these are typically a mix of Indian and Arabic Mehendi Design. The borders are made of thick lines to separate from one other.
Types of Mehendi Designs by Application
Well, these are the actual different types of Mehndi designs by different regions. But by application we have following types of designs.
Full Hand Mehndi Design
As the name implies, the whole hand is typically designed in mehndi. On the occasion of marriage of self or some dear ones people usually do this art.
I have covered several Full hand mehndi design that covers many bridal, simple, celebrity style and indian patterns. You can visit that if you are looking specifically looking for that.
Below are some of the examples of full hand Mehendi designs:
Back Hand Mehendi Design
In a hurry, sometimes we only do the front hand design and leave the back hand mehndi design. But if many do put mehandi on the back hand as well.
Bach hand design can involve the full hand or can also be done in part of the hand area.
Below are several examples of back hand mehndi:
Bridal Mehandi Design
This is the most uncommon Mehndi Design put yet very special. Most ladies put full hand and full leg mehndi for their marriage. Sometimes it involves very complex designs, floral, arabic and indian designs etc.
Below are several full hand and full leg bridal dulhan mehendi designs for you:
Celebrity Style Mehndi Design
This is not something new! Whenever there is a new saree or dress design has come up on some movie or serial then it becomes a sensation over the night and everyone starts to get one for themselves.
Similarly, it also goes for the Mehndi designs. Whenever we see a celebrity has put some design we also try to get the same on our hands. I usually do that and I love to showcase my design then.
Here are several celebrity style Mehandi designs I have collected:
Easy and Simple Mehendi Design
Well, these can be anything. Sometimes the the arabic designs look to be simple or at other times it is the Morocco geometric designs look simple to several people.
Basically these design do not occupy much space and have more open space in the design itself.
Below are several Simple and Easy Mehndi designs I have collected:
I have covered as many as Mehndi Designs by types and by application for you. But this will be incomplete by you. Please leave a comment if you have something to tell about on respective posts.
Keep putting lovely Mehndi Designs and stay beautiful always.