Henna designs

One of the most striking and well know parts of Indian culture is the henna designs inked most notably on the hands of brides. This ancient practice of temporarily tattooing designs has been around for centuries. One of the oldest practices is known as rangoli, a strictly female form of decoration. The art first evolved as a floor decoration in the home temples, where the women of the family would go to reflect and meditate on their lives. This role of decorator mostly fell to the elderly women of the villages who no longer had children and homes to keep up, and so the practice of rangoli soon became associated with the wise women of the area. In rangoli the area to be painted is filled with infinitesimally large geometric patterns sometimes with influences ranging from animals and gods, to the large mango leaf patterns which decorate paisley ties today. Over time the same good luck symbols painted on the floors began to appear on the body, used as decorations for festivals such as Diwali, portents of good fortune in the coming year. Over the centuries Rangoli has evolved for use in many important rituals. Before a wedding a bride is painted with elaborate designs to bring good luck, and happy life and marriage, and of course children. During the eight month of pregnancy the expectant mother's belly is painted with designs to celebrate the child. This ancient practice is one of the most well known today, prevalent in Bollywood movies and in art and design, the ancient practice of henna designs is one of the first things to come to mind when thinking about Indian art.