MEHNDI NEW CLASSIC ASIAN MELODIOUS PART 2

Mehndi is a ceremonial art form that originated in the ancient Indian subcontinent. It is typically applied during weddings - for Muslim and Hindu brides. In Rajasthan, the grooms are given designs that are often as elaborate as those for brides. In Assam, apart from marriage, it is broadly used by unmarried women during Rongali Bihu. Muslims in Afghanistan also started to use it as an indication of coming of age. In the Middle East and Africa, it is common for women to apply henna to their fingernails and toenails, and to their hands. Henna paste is usually applied to the skin using a plastic cone, a paintbrush, or a stick. After about 15–20 minutes, the mud will dry and begin to crack, and during this time, a mixture of lemon juice and white sugar can be applied over the henna design to remoisten the henna mud so that the henna will stain darker. The painted area is then wrapped with tissue, plastic, or medical tape to lock in body heat, creating a more intense color on the skin. The wrap (not a traditional method), is worn for two to six hours, or sometimes overnight, and then removed. When first removed, the henna design is pale to dark orange in color and gradually darkens through oxidation, over the course of 24 to 72 hours. The final color is reddish-brown and can last anywhere from one to three weeks depending on the quality and type of henna paste applied, as well as where it was applied on the body (thicker skin stains darker and longer than thin skin). Moisturizing with natural oils, such as olive, sesame seed, or coconut, will also help extend the lifetime of the stain. Skin exfoliation causes the henna tattoo to fade. Traditional Hindu or Sikh weddings in India can often be long, ritualistic, and elaborate affairs with many pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding ceremonies. South Asian Muslim weddings may also have pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding ceremonies. Different countries and regions of a country celebrate the ceremonies in different ways according to their own marriage customs, rituals, and culture. A henna/mehndi party is a tradition held before a wedding in many South Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African cultures. Mehndi parties were often held in the house that the bride was going to live in, and the guests included girls and women from the bride and groom's side of the family. The bride and all of her guests wore embroidered dresses called "bindi". In addition to this, the bride also wore a red veil that covered her face. According to Hindu tradition, the ceremony is mainly held at the bride's house or at a banquet hall on the eve of the marriage ceremony or a few days before the marriage. Generally, the bride and groom attend the event together and on the occasion, a professional mehndi artist or a relative applies mehndi to the bride's hands and feet. The designs are very intricate. Often hidden within the mehndi pattern, the name or initials of the groom are applied. The event generally has a celebratory festival feel to it with the women dancing and singing traditional songs and the girls wearing vivid colors such as hot pink and yellow, often if the bride to wish to tease her future groom she will make him wear purple. The groom usually wears jutti instead of western footwear. In Pakistan, the mendh ceremony is referred to Rasm-e-Heena and is often one of the most important pre-wedding ceremonies, which is celebrated by the bride's family. In Bangladesh, the mendh ceremony has traditionally been separated into two events; one organized by the bride's family and one, by the groom's family. Mehndi ceremonies take place outside the Indian subcontinent amongst the South Asian community and places like Birmingham in the UK are such known hotspots for lavish mendh celebrations.