The Art of Mehndi

Mehndi by Farah Khan

FOR any Asian bride the intricate application of mehndi is the most significant part of her pre-wedding rituals. For many it is while the beautiful pattern of henna seeps into their skin that all the stress of preparing for the big day fades away, and they truly begin to feel like a bride.

Whether your mehndi is applied during an intimate gathering of your closest girls or at a massive party where you fight the urge to get up and dance as the henna dries, the thing you’ll be most concerned about is quality. For this reason, the majority of Asian brides are desperately seeking the hand of a professional to apply their bridal mehndi, especially someone who is passionate, reputable, and ideally close at hand.

While mehndi icons like Ash Kumar and Joshiv have been able to carve out lucrative careers south of the border, only a select group of professional mehndi artists work in Scotland, mostly based in and around Glasgow. So for those of you who lack a mehndi maestro in the family and desire beautiful, high-quality henna without the excessive travelling fees, I met up with local mehndi artist Farah Khan to explore the options open to Scottish brides and gain some first-hand experience in the art of mehndi.

“For Asian brides their mehndi is something very special,” muses Farah as she applies the cool henna paste to my hand in an intricate, flowing design. “It’s a ritual of great importance with a lot of emotional ties, so it can often become a very therapeutic process for the bride.”

Sitting on the floor of Farah’s living room, I am instantly mesmerised as I watch her gently guide the henna from the cone to my hand with impressive speed and accuracy. I find the henna’s fragrant aroma strangely intoxicating and become so relaxed I’m surprised when, within a mere ten minutes, my mehndi has blossomed into a delicate floral pattern, shimmering with a touch of golden glitter, as it winds along the left side of my hand from my wrist to the tops of my fingers.

I can understand why many brides complement Farah on her soothing technique. Typical of the close-knit community of mehndi artists in Glasgow, Farah’s skilled hand has decorated countless brides, who, when they enlist the help of a local artist, receive not only a personal and intimate service but also a friendly ear.

“Sometimes brides have a lot to get off their chests,” says Farah. “When I touch their hands they start talking, and I find out a lot about people – they feel they can tell me things they normally wouldn’t tell anyone!”

When I ask about recent trends in bridal mehndi, Farah says the design she has given me reflects the particular look modern brides are after, “Nowadays, brides don’t want to be splattered in orange. For the modern British Asian bride less is definitely more. They want more spacious and elegant designs. This season’s hot trend is floral – flowers, leaves and paisley patterns mixed into intricate and flowing motifs. Henna trends come in and out of fashion but right now circles, swirls and curls are very in.”

While the application of henna is an ancient tradition dating back thousands of years, its transient nature has seen it cross generations and cultures. In the late 90s, mehndi turned cosmopolitan and became celebrated in western culture as a trendy form of body art. In a move that merges fashion with tradition, changes in bridal mehndi have mirrored this transition and offer brides a modern twist on conventional designs.

It is now becoming increasingly popular for brides to have their mehndi complement the sumptuous designs of their wedding outfits; with vibrant colours, glitter, pearls and Swarovski crystals incorporated into the bridal motifs to enhance the red hue of henna with an added touch of opulence and femininity.

Nousheen Younis, a Glasgow based mehndi artist, agrees that this can enrich bridal mehndi, “Glitter mehndi is incredibly popular,” she says. “When brides get it done they feel like they are literally shining. They can experiment with different colours to match their outfits; green, gold and silver are popular. They really love it!”

Whether done in a modern or traditional design, it is ultimately the colour of the mehndi that remains of utmost importance. As tradition has it, the deeper the colour, the stronger the marital love. But these days the average bride is more concerned with the quality and appearance of their mehndi, rather than the superstitions surrounding it.

“Colour is a big issue.”Farah observes, “The best way to achieve the darkest stain is to make up fresh paste, cone it immediately and use on the day. The best henna in the world is Jamila henna, finely sifted in its freshest, purest form – that’s how you get the darkest stain. But for the richer colour, it’s all about speed.”

Although professional mehndi artists based in Scotland do not, as yet, have the option to a make a career out of mehndi alone, this does nothing to compromise the quality of their work. Mehndi artists like Farah and Nousheen practice mehndi in their own time; doing it not for financial gain but rather the infinite passion they harbour for henna. This means they can offer brides quality work at a fraction of the prices charged by their English counterparts.

“When I’m doing someone’s henna I’ll make sure it’s absolutely perfect,” says Farah, “the main thing for me is that my client is happy. Its an experience I want them to enjoy and remember.”

For Farah, practicing mehndi is a labour of love. “Its basically art for arts sake,” she enthuses, “it’s not a lucrative career; we’re doing it for the wealth of happiness it brings us. I think I’ll still be doing mehndi when I’m 90!”

Nousheen, who is also a housewife practicing mehndi in her spare time, agrees, “Its not about the money. Its just great for me to do something artistic, which I enjoy and makes me feel popular!”

While henna may be temporary, the memories it creates can last a lifetime. For this reason alone, you want your bridal mehndi to be of the highest quality. And when it comes to art, it is often said that technique is nothing without passion; so when searching for your mehndi artist, make sure to find someone who is as passionate about their work, as you are about the man you’re marrying!

For an artist, I wonder how difficult it is to spend hours creating something beautiful with the knowledge that in a few weeks it will merely fade into nothing?

“It is a fleeting beauty,” admits Farah, “but that’s life; everything ends, everything has its season. In a way it stands as a good metaphor for humanity – for us the whole world is temporary and I think henna reflects that.”

With my lesson in the art of mehndi complete, I leave Farah’s home in a trance. Unable to stop gazing at the ornate pattern adorning the back of my hand, I’m mesmerised to the point where I happily risk wandering into oncoming traffic! The mehndi artists I’ve encountered in Glasgow approach bridal mehndi with the passion and dedication of an artist, and by going local, you are pretty much guaranteed a personal service from someone with precision, attention to detail and creative flair in abundance.

So go ahead – ask around, book a consultation and see for yourself. And some final words of advice: to ensure you actually make it to your wedding day, do watch yourself on the roads afterwards!

by Laura Smith