Mehendi laga ke rakhna…doli saja ke rakhna…lene tujhe o gori..aaenge tere sajna…

Indian marriage begins with the Mehendi ceremony. From the bride-to-be to all the females in the house come together for a fun-filled get-together where all the ladies adorn their hands with beautiful henna. The mehndi ceremony is considered to be one of the most important and fun pre-wedding ceremonies in Indian marriages. 

Mehandi, which is also commonly known as Henna, is a holy affair before the beginning of any auspicious occasion in Indian families since the fourth century. However, in the 21st century Mehandi as well as Mehandi Artists have evolved their art forms which have completely changed the meaning of Mehendi for many. 

Unnati Patel who is a proficient Mehandi Artist quotes that, “For me Mehandi is not just a paste prepared with mixing henna powder and oils, it is a symbol of equality.” 

She further adds, “When I started my career 5 years ago, people used to get Mehandi only on their wedding or close relatives wedding but with time I have seen people getting Mehandi done for all auspicious occasion whether it be Mundan Ceremony or House Warming or venturing with a new business or any festivities. With this, the design has also evolved from a traditional design to contemporary figurative design.” 

Unnati feels that Mehandi has taken a great shift in the way people perceive it. As the world has been moving towards progressive thinking, but still the thought about discrimination and differences prevails. And for Unnati, Mehandi is for everyone irrespective of their background. As she has collaborated with various NGOs across India in order to create her extraordinary designs as a token of love for people for whom this is just a far-fetch dream. 

She adds that “For God, everyone is equal, he does not discriminate or differentiate between anyone so who are we to discriminate between them. When my artistic skills and Mehandi cones help me to create an impact in society, it makes my inner-self satisfied and happy. When I see the zeal and spark in someone’s eye while I create my art, I feel accomplished, I feel complete and that pushes me more to use my weapon (Mehandi cones) as the weapon to bring a difference in society.