Mehendi

Mehendi Mehndi  is a form of  body art  originating in  ancient India , in which decorative designs are created on a person's body, using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves of the  henna  plant ( Lawsonia inermis ). Dating back to  ancient India ,  mehndi  is still a popular form of body art among the women of the Indian subcontinent,  Africa  and the  Middle East . Mehndi  is derived from the  Sanskrit  word  mendhikā . [1]  In Tamil, it is known as 'maruthani'. The use of mehndi and  turmeric is described in the earliest  Hindu   Vedic  ritual books. It was originally used for only women's palms and sometimes for men, but as time progressed, it was more common for men to wear it. Staining oneself with turmeric paste, as well as mehndi, are Vedic customs, intended to be a symbolic representation of the outer and the inner sun. Vedic customs are centered on t...