It is an Arabic word for the plant Lawsonia Inermis and is also known as mehndi across South Asia. The leaves of the plant have been used for thousands of years to adorn the hands and feet of women at weddings and other auspicious occasions. The plant has medicinal qualities of being cooling and calming, which makes it ideal for hot countries. The young leaves and twigs are ground into fine powder, then mixed with water and applied on the hands, feet and hair to give them a reddish-orange color. The henna mud mixture can be applied in beautiful patterns via a small plastic bag with a small hole pricked into one corner. This bag acts as a mini-decorating tube. The patterns and symbols are passed on from the women of one generation to the next.
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