When I say tattoo, I really mean Heena or Mehndi. India's version of a temporary inking. The dark clay paste feels like a mixture of hot and cold at the same time, while the lady sribbles away elaborate designs all inspired by Indian architecture and textile prints. From flowers, to peacocks to the elaborate tassels elephants wear, anything can be drawn and called a heena. Hands and palms are the most common, while feet and back or arms can also be done. The easiest to do are hands because of their flat surface and ability to absorb moisture. Once the drawing is done, one must let it dry for at least an hour, wetting it every now and then to make sure the color is absorbed into your skin. If done properly, the color should be a dark orange red. These tattoos last about 1-2 weeks. My dad told me a common superstition Indians believe is that the lighter your heena the less attractive your potential husband will be. Of course, the color all depends on the material of the paste you are getting. Some pastes naturally produce lighter colors than others. Heena are usually reserved for very special occasions such as birthdays and weddings or anniversaries. All the women get heena's done for these occasions on their arms and legs. They each get the most extensive designs possible as if it is a competition to see who can fill their arm up the most with random designs. The men usually do not get heena.
I have already gotten heena done twice while here. Once was at the craft village in Jaipur and the second was courtesy of Bhavani, our resident director, who is extremely talented in this art. Mehndi is art; the human body your canvas and this pastel clay your paint. To learn more about Mehndi and Heena check out the below webpage: http://www/mehndidesigns.in/
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