I blogged a couple weeks ago about the importance of the month of Shrawan to women. Many of the activities this month lead up to Teej (which, by the way I had mistakenly said was in July but which is actually near the end of August) and another important practice for many high caste, Brahmin Hindu women is the application of beautiful mehendi designs of intricate details to the palms of their hands. Traditionally, they apply the henna the night before the first day of the month of Shrawan, which was Wednesday night this week.
The ready-mixed henna paste is stuffed into a foil cone that narrows to a pin prick at the bottom (in fact a pin is inserted in the narrow end of the cone to keep the henna inside the cone). You can buy the dry powder but the cone is just much easier, especially for a novice like me. Remove the pin and gently squeeze the cone to release a narrow thread of the paste.
Before applying the henna women first, coat their palms with lemon juice or sugar water and let it dry. This helps the paste adhere really well to the skin and not flake off. Many women will apply the henna on the last night of the month of Bhadra and sleep with the henna on their hands until the next morning. It really does stick like glue to skin and can be difficult to get off, although it still feels a bit crunchy, like applying a face mask to your hand.
I timidly began to draw a design, having no idea what would be suitable. My colleague from work gave me a few ideas which was good asI think it helped make it look more authentic. But it was hard to get it as detailed as I would have liked. I saw some women on the bus the next day whose hands were so finely decorated it look like a red lace glove on their hand.
Below is a before and after picture of my first attempt – not too bad I think! Apparently, the darker the henna stains, the more your husband loves you…they say mine was very dark… 🙂
