Henna takes centre stage at bridal mehndi ceremonies. Intricate patterns of floral and paisley motifs in rich hues of red, ranging from burgundy to bright orange, are delicately drawn on the hands of the bride. Her feet are decorated with designs featuring vines that twirl up around the ankles up to the knees. Women and children take turns to have mehndi applied on their hands in a celebration that involves singing, dancing and feasting.

“The mehndi ceremony is the start of the wedding festivities,” says Sangeeta Bajaj, 55, an Indian living in New York who organised her son’s wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in 2019.

“When I got married, 30 years ago, the mehndi ceremony was a fun but simple affair celebrated at home with the womenfolk. The bride, her friends and relatives would take turns getting mehndi patterns applied to their hands by the mehndiwali [mehndi artist], accompanied with folk songs and dancing.”

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The mehndi function at her son’s wedding was a much more elaborate event. “It was held at the open grounds of a hotel with traditional folk singers performing during the ceremony, and stands serving chaat and other snacks,” Bajaj says. “Of course, the tradition of the bride and the guests getting mehndi applied to them was still the centrepiece of the ceremony.”

“The mehndi dye is made from the dried leaves of a small tropical plant [Lawsonia inermis] that are ground and mixed with water and oils to make a paste,” Nagda says. “The paste, when applied to the human body, leaves a temporary rusty red pigmentation on the skin and hair.

“The mehndi paste, when applied to the hands and feet of the bride, which house the body’s nerve endings, helps calm the nerves. Mehndi is also a part of [the] solah shringar’, meaning sixteen adornments, recommended by ancient Hindu texts for a bride.”

In Pakistan, the ceremony is called “Rasm-e-Heena”, meaning the ritual of henna. “The bride and the bridegroom celebrate together with their families,” says Sundas Irshad, 27, a homemaker from Pakistan who grew up in Hong Kong. “The bride holds a leaf in her palms and family members bless her by applying henna onto the leaf. Afterwards, the bride and her friends get henna put on their hands and feet.”

In Turkey, the “henna evening” is also a fun-filled pre-wedding event, like the Indian mehndi celebration, with the paste brought in by the bride’s mother-in-law.

The word “henna” is derived from the Arabic name hinna for the plant that produces the dye and which grows in the hot, arid climates of North Africa, Asia and northern Australia. Mehndi is derived from “mendhika” – the ancient Sanskrit word for the shrub in India.

The use of henna dates back to antiquity, though its origin is a subject of contention. Some scholars claim the earliest documentation of mehndi is in ancient Indian texts, indicating it may have originated in the country. Others say the practice of henna body art was brought to India by the Mughals in the 15th century, long after it had been in vogue in the Middle East and North Africa.

A few experts say that the earliest signs of henna application appear in Egyptian mummies, whose hair and nails were stained with the reddish-brown tones of henna long before hair dyes appeared as a beauty product.

This natural dye is prepared by crushing and grinding dried leaves of the henna plant into a fine powder. “The powder is soaked in water for a few hours, after which clove oil, eucalyptus oil and leaves of black tea are added to enhance the colour and longevity of the dye,” says Nagda, who has been a mehndi artist for 41 years. “The paste is filled into a small cone, which is then used to apply the mehndi.”

Once the mehndi is applied, she adds, it is left to dry for a few hours. “The longer the paste is left to dry, the darker and richer the colour is likely to be. To prevent the paste from drying and falling off the skin, we put a liquid mixture of sugar and lemon juice on the paste.”

Nagda explains that when the paste is removed, the colour of the mehndi is orange, but darkens over the next 24 to 48 hours to a deep reddish-brown as a result of oxidation.

Henna application has become an art form, and brides today book professional mehndi artists to create spectacular designs. Many of these artists have a huge following on social media.

Amreen Wahid, a henna artist based in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, has close to one million followers on Instagram (@girly.henna).

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“I specialise in Arabic mehndi, which is minimalistic in style with an emphasis on floral patterns,” says Wahid, 28, who is known for creating innovative designs, images of which she shares on social media. “My clients say that they love the originality of my designs,” she says.

“I love henna. There is something special about it. Whenever I apply henna on someone, I get the feeling that something good is coming my way.”

Brides are spoiled for choice when it comes to henna designs, with a multitude to choose from.

“Indian mehndi designs are characterised by their intricacy, fine lines, and meticulously drawn patterns of paisleys, peacocks and floral motifs,” says Sonali Bhayani, 36, a mehndi artist in Hong Kong.

Rich in tradition and heritage, each state in India has its own traditional motifs and designs. The dulha dulhan, or bride and groom, designs are hugely popular in Rajasthan, with exquisitely drawn illustrations of a king and queen forming the central part of the pattern. Peacock-inspired designs are a favourite with women in western India. Arabic designs, which are minimalist and make use of negative space, are preferred in Kashmir, in the north.

Regardless of the style brides choose, the traditions associated with this art form remain. It is a custom to cunningly hide the groom’s initials or name within the intricate pattern, which he then has to find on his bride’s hands, as the onlookers heckle and cheer him on.

A popular old wives’ tale is that the deeper the mehndi sets on a bride’s hands and the darker its colour, the more she will be loved in her new household, especially by her mother-in-law, which is why deeper coloured henna is preferred.

While the bridal mehndi ceremony has become more elaborate as the opening event of “big fat Indian weddings”, the essence of the ritual has not changed – a celebration of family, of femininity and an occasion to bless the bride as she embarks on her marital journey.