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By Rebecca C., YES Abroad 2019-2020, India

Mehndi, also known as Henna temporary tattoos, intrigued me while in India. Mehndi is a significant part of the Indian culture, especially during weddings and celebrations, but also occasionally applied just for fun. I saw Mehndi artists apply such beautiful designs and they made it look so easy! I wanted to try it for myself and it became my new favorite hobby.

I still remember the first time I tried applying Mehndi on myself, and I quickly realized how difficult it is, and gained a newfound respect for all the artists who are able to apply it with such speed and perfection. Like so many things, it is much more difficult than appears!

I have been practicing often since then, trying new designs and styles, and I enjoy applying it on my friends and family now that I’m back in the U.S. It gives me the opportunity to share a small part of Indian culture with other Americans! I will continue forward with this new passion I discovered while in India and maybe one day, in the same impeccable way I saw the artists achieve, I will be able to apply the beautiful art, Mehndi.