Henna

Henna is a common type of body art that has been around for centuries. It's famously believed as originating in India and Egypt and used for special occasions and ceremonies. Henna is a reddish-brown dye collected from a henna plant. Henna has a staining quality, so it's used for skin designs and to dye hair.

I had always admired henna from afar. This trip gave me the opportunity to finally learn about it and participate in its application. The India-part of our program included a participatory henna workshop. Two henna artists from a local design studio came to our hotel, explained how it works, and showed us pictures of their work. I was overwhelmed by the sheer variety and complexities of designs. There was a little bit of a language barrier, so I just told them to do anything they recommended. They started on my left under forearm and it tickled a bit. The patterns were so intricate. Each line had a different design, but somehow blended perfectly with each other. I was expecting the designs on my arms to be alike, but on one arm there is a peacock that flows down into and on the other is a series of intertwined artwork. Moving onto my hands, my palms were covered in designs that were extensions of the designs on my arms. Each finger has rings on the tips with different designs trickling down into the palm. Once they started working on the forearm, an hour had already passed, and they still seemed deeply focused in the art of their work. With perfect patience too.

Waiting for the henna to dry tested my patience. One thing I noticed is that the dye on the palms came out darker than the rest of my henna. However, when it did dry, the outcome was spectacular and beautiful! I am grateful for the experience this aspect of Indian cultural, educationally and experientially.

Jodi S