Looking for Indian bridal mehendi designs? Want to know about all the different styles of bridal mehendi designs available? Read our guide for more information on choosing the right mehendi design for you…
One of the most important rituals in an Indian wedding is the application of Indian bridal mehendi designs. The designs are applied to the back of the bride’s hands and palms in an elaborate ritual comprising the singing of songs by the bride’s maids in waiting or other female relatives. Intricate patterns are delicately drawn on the bride’s hands and feet with the dark brown or reddish brown mehendi paste.
Indian bridal mehendi designs have been brought down for many centuries and these designs are of flowers, leaves, peacocks and conch shells. Traditional Indian patterns like the ‘doli’ are also drawn. This is a scene of the bride going away with her new family at the end of the wedding ceremony. It is compulsory to write the name of the groom on the bride’s hands. Additionally, images of the bride and groom are also drawn.
To make the patterns, the powder of mehendi leaves is mixed with water, oil and lemon juice to form a paste. A small wooden stick is dipped into the paste and the pattern is drawn on the hands and the feet of the bride. The tips of the fingers are darkly coated with mehendi and the nails are similarly colored.
The mehendi paste is left to dry and then removed when completely dry. The entire process of applying Indian bridal mehendi designs may take several hours to finish. When the mehendi is removed, the bride cannot wash her hands and feet for a minimum of 12 hours to ensure that the mehendi is fully absorbed into the skin and reveals a rich, red luster.
The Need for Bridal Mehendi
In traditional circles, the mehendi is considered very auspicious. The application of the mehendi denotes the strength of love that the bride will receive from her husband and future in laws. The richer the color of the mehendi, the stronger is the love. Dark mehendi colors signify that the marriage will be strong and long lasting. Hence brides take great pains to ensure that the mehendi retains its deep color through oil or heat applications.
Indian bridal mehendi designs are significant patterns that are linked to the viability of a marriage. Mehendi patterns are a rich tapestry of flowers and shells, beautifying the Indian bride.
