Hindu Shaadi Rituals – Know the significance of Mehndi

Hindu Shaadi Rituals – Know the significance of Mehndi

The bride spends hours getting her feet, hands adorned with intricate designs. Mehndi enhances her bridal look. But why is Mehndi so important?

Read on to know the significance of this pre-wedding ceremony.

Mehndi is one of the oldest dyeing agents, and in India, it is widely used for decorating the palms and the feet. It is applied mostly by women during auspicious occasions like Karwa Chauth, Teej and other significant festivals. And apart from being an integral part of these festivals and the Solah Shringar kit, Mehndi finds a special space in the Hindu wedding ceremony.

Interestingly, ahead of the wedding ceremony, even the groom gets his palms decorated with a small Mehndi pattern as a mark of “shagun“. But the bride spends hours getting her feet and hands adorned with intricate designs. These, in turn, enhance her bridal look. But why is Mehndi so important? Read on to know the significance of this pre-wedding ceremony.

Since both the bride and the groom should stay in the pink of health on the day of their wedding ceremony, the Haldi is first applied. Haldi has a healing effect on the skin, and it guards it against germs. Similarly, Mehndi is loaded with medicinal values.

1. First and foremost, Mehndi acts as a cooling agent and helps in calming the nerves.
2. Moreover, it helps the brides and the grooms to get rid of stress, headaches and anxiety.
3. Like Haldi, Mehndi also shields the body and keeps infection-causing microorganisms at bay, thereby reducing the chances of falling sick ahead of the wedding day.

Hence, owing to its therapeutic values, Mehndi is an inseparable part of Indian weddings.

However, the other dimension of the use of Mehndi is related to the beliefs. It is said that the deeper colour of the Mehndi on the hands symbolizes the profound love shared by the man and his wife. In some communities, the darkness of the Mehndi indicates the strength of the relationship between the bride and her mother-in-law. Moreover, Mehndi represents fertility.