This
festive occasion, originally of Muslim origin, is
usually held in the late afternoon. This is primarily
a ladies tea-party; however the male relatives are
allowed to be present. On the «mehndi»,
the future bride has her hands and feet intricately
patterned with a paste which is a recipe of henna,
oil, lemon juice and some water tinted with tea.
The application of mehndi or henna takes about four
hours to complete. Ideally, the bride-to-be should
not wash her hands until the paste has completely
dried. Invitees at the party also design each others
hands with mehndi. Mehndi signifies the strength
of love in a marriage. The darker the mehndi, the
stronger the love. |
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