Tattooing fever

Our grandmas would surely raise their eyebrows at the places the traditional mehendi is going. Even the pop diva Madonna uses it. Take a ...

Our grandmas would surely raise their eyebrows at the places the traditional mehendi is going. Even the pop diva Madonna uses it. Take a close look at her palms in her Frozen video. She was caught with it again at the Grammy Awards. Mehendi has always been used as an environment-friendly hair dye and as a decoration and coolant for the palms 8212; now, mehendi tattoos are a rage, not only in India but elsewhere too.

What has always been an integral part of the Indian culture has become a fashion statement with it becoming popular with the MTV generation. This time around mehendi has undergone a complete cultural transformation, from the essentially traditional to the fashionably hip.

Waheeda, a mehendi artiste of Waheeda8217;s Beauty Parlour, Bhawani Peth, enthuses,8220;Teenaged girls are most infatuated with this new trend.8221; Her customers are between 15 and 20 and include the fashion conscious teens. However, this new trend has not caught on with the guys, with a few exceptions here and there. Says David, a Norwegian tourist,8220;I got a tattoo of a mermaid done on my back. Since mehendi is an unusual concept for us, it was a novel experience.8221;

What8217;s the best part of getting a mehendi tattoo done, other than keeping up with fashion? There are two good reasons. It never has any side-effects, since it is made naturally and secondly it is semi-permanent. You don8217;t have to live with it for the rest of your life, which is not the case with other tattoos.

The traditional mehendi comes in three styles 8212; Arabic, Rajasthani and Gujarati. While Gujarati and Rajasthani styles involve intricate designs, Arabic designs are more bold and thick. Which is why Arabic mehendi is used in tattoos. As to the designs, creativity knows no bounds. The parlours have their own style books that one can choose from or suggestions from the clients are always welcome.

The latest fad to hit the tattoo scene is magic mehendi 8212; which is basically coloured mehendi. The upshot is you can mix and match it with your costume. It could be done to match with your outfit or even a contrast, depending on your preference. Tiny mirrors, bindis, sequins, glitter 8211; everything goes as a part of the entire do8217;. Such a mehendi tattoo lasts for six to eight hours and is recommended for those magical moments like weddings and parties. Zardosi mehendi, is another popular form, is one in which the mehendi is lined with golden zari. An unbelievable range of designs are available that you can choose from. Right from little flowers to a chain of butterflies, sea-horses, scorpions, bands, swastik, om and a host of others.

You can get tattoos done on your body at the usual and the most unusual of places. The upper arm, belly button, cheek, neck, chest, back, wrist, ankle, waist, ring finger8230; The tattoo costs anywhere between Rs 15 to Rs 1500, depending on the size and the design. A normal mehendi tattoo lasts for 10 to 15 days. If you haven8217;t got one done yet, it8217;s time you did before the trend fades out. Just join the fashion bandwagon and adorn yourself with mehendi tattoos.