5 interesting facts you didn’t know about Mehndi

No Hindu wedding is complete without Mehndi (henna). A bride’s hands looks lovely with the brick red Mehndi colour. All the brides love the Mehndi ceremony. After speaking to a few experts I am listing down some best kept secrets about Mehndi. Mehndi (henna) originates in Dubai. But it was first used in Turkey. The women coloured their hands with Mehndi in central Turkey in 4000 BC. Did you know that Mehndi was also used in Egypt in as early as 3400 BC? Mehndi was used 5000 years back in Egypt for Pharaohs. It was used to paint the hands of the Pharaohs who died so that they would have a happy afterlife. In fact, when henna was first used in Egypt, the Egyptian women would not leave the house without dipping their hand in henna so that they would attain red fingertips as it was considered inappropriate to leave the home without Mehndi in the hands. Mehndi was used in India from 12 century (Mughal era) onwards. A very interesting fact that very few of us would know is that even North African Jewish communities and Yemenite apply Mehndi for their wedding ceremonies. Isn’t it fascinating? Mehndi is extremely popular amongst the Sephardi and Ashkenazi brides. In fact even the Moroccan women celebrating the Id al-Adha festivity wear Mehndi to celebrate the colorful and beautiful springtime and the animal sacrifice. It is very hard to believe but people residing in rural areas of North Africa, henna twigs are used to keep the teeth and gums clean and healthy. These were some fascinating facts about Mehndi that am sure most you were not aware about.