The history influence of Hinduism Buddhism and Islam has on the henna body art tradition

Introduction

Henna is a shrub of the family of spiny Lythracées, whose leaves produce colors such as red and yellow, used in dyeing textiles and body. It is extracted from its tiny flowers scent much appreciated. Henna grows naturally in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, South Asia and Australasia, in latitudes between 15 and 25 ° (N and S) from Africa to the Pacific. The term also refers to the dye, whose use is very old since they find traces of the mummies of Egypt (Kumar, Singh, Singh, p. 11-12).

Henna is a dye that natural red hair uses as a technique for the coloration of the skin called mehandi. It is the road dry and petiole of Lawsonia Alba Lam. This dye is commonly used in India, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Middle East and Africa from the north. Mehandi patterns are quite complex and in some cultures are used as ornaments wedding. In the West has been using, although not widely, from 70. To prepare the paste of henna leaves are crushed until a brownish green powder. It is then mixed with essential oils and juice from lemon to release the dye from the leaves and sugar to give consistency. When applied to the skin turns orange tint pale and during the hours becomes darker until a reddish brown. In some countries, especially in India, sells henna paste in cones and ready for use. Henna penetrates only the cells of the stratum corneum dead skin, the duration of the dye varies depending on the thickness of the skin, but only a few days (Kumar, Singh, Singh, p. 11-12).

History influence of Hinduism/Buddhism and Islam on Henna body art

The Art of Henna is a mode of transmission of culture deeply rooted in the customs of North Africa. Henna was an all time most used cosmetic. It was able to occupy a special place in Muslim traditions: marriage, circumcision, celebrations of Eid. Its main functions are to protect against the evil eye, to be a lucky charm and, above all, stunning beauty. Henna is known for its green powder coloring. Today it is used routinely simply for the pleasure of dying their hair or have a good reason temporarily tattooed on the body. The description of the henna is far from being limited to a simple cosmetic powder (Onder, Meltem, Çigdem, Pinar, Murat, p. 577-579).

The art of henna tattoo dates back to ancient times. The plant was known to the ancient Egyptians, as evidenced by the mummy of Ramses II (1301-1235 BC.), whose hands and feet were dyed red. At that time, we appreciated most for its scent: the flowers soaked in oil or fat, gave a very popular scent (Onder, Meltem, Çigdem, Pinar, Murat, p. 577-579). Since then, the recipe of henna is known in several countries, including the Middle East, Asia and Africa. It is commonly used to decorate and beautify the hands and feet during religious ceremonies, such ...