One of the most important pre-wedding ceremonies in Indian marriages is the ‘Mehendi ki raat’. It is not only a fun pre-wedding ritual but also has a deep-rooted cultural significance to it.
Traditional Ritual
Applying mehendi to the bride and the groom before the wedding, is one of the oldest Indian traditions. The ceremony, however, entails an elaborate application of mehendi designs on a bride’s hands and feet. As for the groom, a mere token of application of henna is a mark of good omen.
As a wedding tradition, it is followed in many part of India as well as in neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Mehendi is quite popular among Muslims as well. According to Islamic literature, Prophet Muhammad used mehendi to dye his beard and administered its use to those who were unwell. Because of this, mehendi ceremony is an important pre-wedding ritual, observed in the Indian subcontinent and many Arabic nations.
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Significance of Mehendi
Mehendi represents the bond of matrimony and is therefore, considered a ‘shagun’. It signifies the love and affection between the couple and their families.
Here are some popular beliefs that are associated with this tradition:
- The darkness of the mehendi colour on a bride’s hand represents the deep love between the would-be-couple.
- The mehendi colour also shows the love and understanding between the bride and her mother-in-law.
- The longer the mehendi retains its colour, the more auspicious it is for the newlyweds.
- Mehendi is also deemed to be a symbolic representation of fertility.
Mehendi or henna is known for its medicinal properties. It has a cooling effect that aids in soothing stress, headaches and fevers. Mehendi herb is also very beneficial for growth of nails. So, mehendi is applied to relieve the bride and groom of all the wedding stress. It also protects them from any viral diseases before the wedding.