Since how long i have been doing mehendi and from where did i learn this art? These two questions i have faced everytime i have ever done mehendi. And these two questions always take me down to memory lane.
From where did i learn this art?
I learned Mehendi art from Surat my home town where i born and brought up and spend 22 years of my life. The wonderful and exciting city. At that time there was only one lady i knew was teaching mehendi art who was running beauty parlour too.
How old was I when I learned mehendi?
I was around 11 or 12 years old when i learnt mehendi. Yes i was too young but i had reason to learn mehendi. It was my passion to decorate my hands with mehendi. And my mehendi painted hand used to give me inexplicable happiness. I used to keep looking at them and admire them for hours. The beautiful pattern with attractive dark red colour any young girl's dream.
However, sad part was i did not know how to do henna and only my aunt knew how to draw henna but she used to draw it with fine pointed wooden stick. Drawback of that was my aunt was married and at her own house. It was not possible for her to come and do mehendi for all of us..
Yes all of us we were 5 girls in house with all our cousins. To do mehendi on all these girl's hand, it was time consuming and tiresome too.
During our childhood Gauri vrat was the most celebrated festival specially for unmarried young girls. It was five days vrat and in this vrat one can only eat fruits and dry fruits, and only one meal a day allowed but in that we could eat only dishes made from rice and that is also without salt.
Parents used to pampered their girls during that vrat. New cloths, outing, and many more activity to keep us occupy so we don't feel temptation to eat food. Mehendi was the most important part of this vrat because in indian culture mehendi is believed to be very auspicious ceremony for all custom.
For us, young girls it was something to show off in front of our friends. We used to compete with friends whose colour is best,whose design is best. So in short it was question of our prestige.
Now problem was my aunt could not come all the time and my other cousins had their maternal aunts who knew how to draw mehendi using mehendi cone,something very new technique during that time.
For my cousin their maternal aunt used to come. Few times i requested them to decor my hand too. However, some times they are short of mehendi cones or sometimes they are rushing . In short there were no one to decor my hand with beautiful henna design . My mom always used to console me and many times prepare mehendi paste for me so those aunt can decor my hand but at the end of the day i always used to sleep dishearten. And when i slip in deep slumber my mom used to paint my hand and feet with circles and dots.
When my all friends used to show off their beautiful hands i always used to hide them with embarrassment. I could not bear that. My nature was like i could not sit feeling helpless. One day i decided, so what if others don't have time or cones for me i am not dependent on anyone. If after learning they can draw such a nice design same thing i can also do.
I can learn mehendi art by myself, and i can decor my own hand whenever i want no need to beg or request anyone. And feel helpless when they refuse to help me.
The problem was 51rs fees i had to pay for my lessons. In today's time it seems like very small amount but i can very well understand how huge that amount was for my mom during those days. It was very difficult for my mom to arrange that amount from her limited budget. I was in dilemma should i go ahead with my idea to learn mehendi or because of shortage of money should drop this idea. The reason was i did not want my mom to feel helpless and dishearten if she could not arrange that amount and same time i knew she will do whatever in her power to manage that amount. Somehow i collect my courage and share my wish with my mom. As i knew, she was very happy and immediately she opened one of the envelope she received as gift and gave me money.
I could not control my happiness. Ecstatic i told my all friends and my cousins that i am going to learn mehendi and once i will learn i will keep my hands always painted with beautiful mehendi. imagination and determination of young girl. One of my cousin also accompanied me. we two were the youngest in our class and we learned with all the dedication and our teacher was also very proud of us. Always used to praise us in front of all her clients. We learned few basic designs, how to make cone and how to prepare mehendi. Unknown to the fact whatever we have learned is very basic and still many more learning is ahead if we want to see ourselves as good mehendi artist.
However that was my first step for the journey of being Mehendi artist, completely unaware that this art will actually help me settle in new country and give new dimension to my life. It will be the support to my self confidence. And for whatever i am today, i am really grateful to my mom who always sacrifice for all of us to give us whatever we desired. Many times she had to face difficult situation because of us but with smiling face she had faced all the difficulties. The biggest share of credit goes to my mom for whatever i am today.
Thanks mom ...............you are the best.
