Mehndika ~ Henna

Mehndi is a form of body art that is created wit the leaves of a naturally earth grown henna plant that leaves a dark orange/brown/red stain on the body on application, temporarily. It is a tradition in India for the women to adorn their hands with henna designs for various festivals. I am a talented henna artist and have been practising it for around 15 years now, on people who offer to adorn their hands with henna. Each time I draw a design, it is different. I practise all forms of designs, from Indian to Arabic designs. I have been an Henna Artist for marriages and engagements back in India. I often like to draw pretty intricate designs.

Potrayed below are some of my work from the past

Application

The leaves of the henna plant is finely grinded and mixed with essential oils like eucalyptus to help it leave a strong orange stain on the body that would last for minimum of 1 week. Once the consistency is smooth, it is put into a cone shaped plastic bag (like a frosting bag) for drawing designs. Once the paste dries off, a mixture of lemon and sugar is appied on top of the design to get a bold stain. Once the entire art work dries off, the paste cracks and can be withered off from the skin that would leave a fresh ornage stain initially that turns red/brown depending on the quality of the henna paste.

AID Colorado | Henna Artist | Voluntary service

AID Colorado Organization provides support to children for education from families who are in need. I was an Henna artist to support for this cause during all the Indian Festivals organised at the University of Colorado Boulder. Being brought up in India, a poverty stricken country, I have seen many children, elderly and physically challenged people on the streets finding it hard to get good food. Even though, it is possible to do them a needy favor, an individual person cannot afford to help a huge crowd of people in need. So, the only possible way to support a huge crowd is through collected efforts of like minded people who are driven to help people in need in different ways. I found such possibility in AID-Colorado when I heard about them at the University of Colorado Boulder when I was pursuing my Masters Degree. I wanted to put my talent to use for this cause. At the end of the day doing this kind of small, yet a good deed makes me feel satisfied and useful.