The henna tattoo, or Mehendi, is a traditional Indian body art.

Mehendi is the creation of intricate ethnic or contemporary designs and exotic patterns on various parts of the body, using henna dye.

Henna is the common name for the Lawsonia Inermis plant grown in arid areas of Pakistan and India. The leaves of the plant are dried, ground into a powder, then reconstituted to make a paste. The paste is applied to the skin in beautiful patterns to create a stain that can last as long as two months, depending on the person, how well it’s taken care of and the part of the body the paste is applied to.

The tradition of henna tattooing is believed to be from 5000 to as much as 9000 years old, and the folklore behind it is varied. Henna is typically applied during special occasions like weddings and festivals in India, such as Diwali, Bhaidooj, Teej and Eid. In some Hindu festivals every woman tries to have Henna done on her hands and feet. It is usually drawn on the palms and feet, where the color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin which binds temporarily to the colorant of henna.

In fact the term henna tattoo is inaccurate, as tattoos are permanent insertion of pigments underneath the skin, as opposed to pigments resting on the surface as is the case with Mehendi.

What beautiful work, I think it’s really hot!