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henna

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On "Chaand raat," the night of the moon, on the night before the Muslim festival of Eid, girls decorate themselves with intricate designs of henna and wear bangles./Photo by Izzah Zainab/flickr-CC
On “Chaand raat,” the night of the moon, on the night before the Muslim festival of Eid, girls decorate themselves with intricate designs of henna and wear bangles./Photo by Izzah Zainab/flickr-CC

A plant used to make ink or hair dye. To make the ink, leaves are ground to powder and mixed with water and lemon juice or oil. The ceremonial application of henna to make designs on the body, usually hands or feet, is called mehndi. Indian women wear mehndi for special occasions such as weddings. The designs start to fade after about a week.

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REFERENCE: 100 Questions & Answers About Indian Americans 

 

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