Henna Tattoo – An Ancient Practice to Adorn Women

Henna is a tropical flowering plant that comes from the Arabic word for Lawsonia Inermis pronounced as hina. It is a tall shrub or small tree that usually grows in Africa, Southern Asia and Northern Australia. The leaves of henna produce red-orange dye used in coloring the hair and tinting the parts of the body such as the hands and the feet.

Henna tattoo is an ancient Indian Body Art also known as Mehendi or Mehndi. It is an art that uses henna plant as an ink or color to intricate ethnic or contemporary design and exotic patterns traditionally applied on various parts of the body specifically the hands and feet of women in preparations for special ceremonies.

Since the late Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean, Mehndi is practice to adorn young women’s bodies as part of holiday and social celebrations. Early context shows that according to Ugaritic Legend of Baal and Anath, henna is used for marriage and fertility celebrations. The women are seen marking themselves with henna to prepare in meeting their husbands. Between 1500 and 500 BCE, paintings and statuettes of young women have been discovered. Their hands, nails, palms, and soles have markings and ancient patterns. Jews, Hindus, Zoroastrians and Christians celebrated marriages with henna to adorn the bride and often the groom as well. Traditionally, henna tattoo or Mehndi is used as a symbol of love and joy. It is a pre-wedding ritual to bring good fortune and happiness to the couple. It is said that the women will used as much henna to put different patterns like flowers and the names of their husbands. According to beliefs and traditions, marking the women’s bodies with henna attracts prosperity, love, healing and protection.

Nowadays, although henna tattoo is popular and more often used for women, men seem to find it a nice alternative to permanent tattoo. It is a painless and temporary process of tattooing. Mehndi or henna tattoo only lasts within one to four weeks. It is not a lifetime commitment. The design you have chosen today might be out for the next. Henna tattoo can be removed and be changed if a person has it wants another cool and unique design.