Mehndi

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Mehndi (Hindi मेहन्दी, which refers to the henna plant) usually denotes either the use of henna for body art on skin or with henna dye applied to hair.

The temporary tattoo art, popularly used in Middle Eastern, North_African and Asia, is usually drawn, often with intricate patterns and designs, on the hands and feet since the stratum corneum is thickest there (especially for males) and the stain will last for a long period of time. Although the body art is predominantly applied onto the hands and feet of brides, there exist traditions in Bangladesh, Kashmir and Sudan where bridegrooms are also are expected to be tattooed before wedding ceremonies. Once the henna plant is converted to powder, it is mixed with a dark liquid like coffee or tea, lemon juice (to release the dye) and sugar (for consistency) into a paste which is then applied. Depending on how long the paste rests on the skin, the tattoo lasts from a few days to two weeks beginning with a red-brown colour and ending with a fading orance presence.