Henna powder color
Color of Henna powder varies with its origination. It can be of olive, green or dark brown color. But all of these powder colors develops into a chocolate brown color and smells like hay.
Fresh Henna powder produces a strong dark brown color paste and it lasts for a longer duration. In contrast, Stale Henna powder produces a light orange color paste which will give the same light orange color even after the longer application.
Henna colors:
Henna stains have a large range in their colors, depending on their lasting duration. Like,
Light orange
Washing your hands in just 2-3 hrs will give you a light orange color of Henna.
Red
Drying Henna for around 4 hrs will give a red color. Immediate washing of hands is always not recommended for a rich color.
Brown
Brown color of Henna is the result of 6 hrs dryness. Brown color can be achieved by mixing tea water, coffee or any other dye. This paste can be removed in 2-3 hrs.
Black
Dark color of Henna depends upon its lasting duration. The longer the duration is the darker the color will be. If, Henna will remain applied for more than 6 hrs than it will give you a dark black color. Additional dye can also be used to get this dark color.
Where Henna can be applied?
Traditionally, Henna paste was applied on hands (both sides) and feet but modernism has put some innovations in it and now Henna is also applied on the full arms, full legs, bellies, shoulders and back.
Other than this application, Henna is also good in using as a hair dye, skin dye, finger dye and as a leather and cloth preservative because of their anti-fugal nature. Henna flowers are also used in perfumes because they’re rich in fragrance.
Traditional usage of henna
Traditionally, Henna is associated with celebrations. Without the Henna application every event is considered as incomplete and colorless.
Henna has become an integral part of sub-continent wedding ceremonies. Mehndi functions is usually arranged a night before the wedding where old ladies give their prayers and best wishes to the bride. In these ceremonies large leaves are placed on the hands of brides and ladies (mostly happily married) put Henna on them later they’re removed and Mehndi is applied in beautiful thick patterns. Female relatives also apply Mehndi on their hands to share the happiness of the wedding couple. Applying Mehndi on the small finger of grooms is also a Mughal custom and still in use.
Other than weddings Mehndi is also applied on festivals like Eids, karwachaut, bhaidoog, basant, etc.
Some Henna Patterns
Arabic pattern:
Arabic patterns are large floral patterns which are usually applied on the hands and feet.
Marwadi pattern
Intrinsic thick application of thin patterns is Marwadi pattern. Entire hand is filled in them without any gap.
Sindhi pattern
Elaborated uniform patterns are Sindhi patterns which usually starts from the palm and extended towards the arms.
African pattern
Large valiant geometrical designs are the African patterns.