Mehndi is the traditional art of adorning the hands and feet with a paste made from the finely ground leaves of the henna plant during ceremonies and festivals. However, the ancient Indian art of mehndi went mainstream last year. Western musicians and Hollywood personalities adopted and altered the traditional mehndi, as a temporary, pain-free body decoration alternative to tattooing, making it the hottest trend among male and female movers and shakers. 

As the trend grows in popularity, so grows the list of personalities that have been seen sporting mehndi patterns: actress Demi Moore, and the band ‘No Doubt's’ Gwen Stefani were among the first celebrities to been seen wearing mehndi. Mehndi has been featured in countless magazines including Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Wedding Bells, People, and Cosmopolitan.   

Thanks to which the demand for the decorative body art has exploded. Today, various shades of mehndi are obtainable by mixing in the leaves of other plants, such as indigo. Tea, coffee, cloves, tamarind, lemon, sugar, and various oils are also used to enhance the colour and longevity of design.

There is some speculation as to the first origin of the use of henna. What is known for sure is that henna has been used as a cosmetic, as well as for its supposed healing properties for at least 5000 years. Centuries of migration and cultural interaction make it difficult to determine where certain traditions began. 

There is some historical evidence to support that mehndi as an art form may have originated in ancient India. However, some sources claim that the use of henna was taken to India by the Moguls in the 12th Century AD, centuries after use in the Middle East and North Africa. There is evidence to support that the tradition of mehndi originated in North Africa and the Middle Eastern countries during ancient times.

There are three main traditions that can be recognised, aside from the modern use of henna as a trendy temporary tattoo. Generally, Arabic (Middle-eastern) mehndi features large, floral patterns on hands and feet, while Indian (Asian) mehndi uses fine line, lacy, floral and paisley patterns covering entire hands, forearms, feet and shins; and African mehndi art is large, and bold with geometrically patterned angles. 

African mehndi patterns usually use black henna while Asian and Middle Eastern mehndi is often reddish brown. It is also a common custom in many countries to step into the mehndi, or simply apply the paste without creating a pattern in order to cool, protect or treat the skin.

While much of the tradition and symbolism around the use of mehndi has been lost over the generations, there are still some traditions, which are followed by some. In many eastern places, henna is thought to hold special medicinal or even magical properties. 

It is used to help heal skin diseases, prevent thinning hair, and cool the skin to reduce swelling in hot climates. It is made into a beverage to heal headaches and stomach pain. Newly purchased homes in Morocco often have their doors painted with henna to wish for prosperity and chase away evil. Henna is used as a protection against the "evil eye". The foreheads of bulls, milk cows, and horses are sometimes decorated with henna for their protection.

Tombstones in graveyards are sometimes washed with henna to please the sprits. Henna is used in celebrations of betrothals, weddings, births, circumcisions, religious holidays (similarly for Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians and other religions) and National festivals. 

A bride whose family has little money wears her mehndi in place of ornate gold jewellery. It is said that when a bride has mehndi done for her wedding, the darker the colour, the more her mother-in-law loves her. A good deeply coloured design is a sign of good luck for the marital couple. It is common for the names of the bride and groom to be hidden in the mehndi design; and the wedding night cannot commence until the groom has found the names. 

A bride is not expected to perform any housework until her wedding mehndi has faded. While much of the symbolism of mehndi designs is lost, some examples remain. The peacock, which is the national bird of India, the lotus flower, and an elephant with a raised trunk, which is a symbol of good luck, are all popular images. 

You can cash in on the trend by investing in an inexpensive body art kit, stocked with everything you need (stencils, dyes, brushes and setting powders) to create your own mehndi masterpieces. You can break away from traditional Indian designs and create your own hallmark motifs. Start by creating some subtle, Indian-inspired nail art, then use henna dyes to continue the design down one finger and onto the back of the hand. 

Also try experimenting with tiny, self-adhesive body gems to further enhance the look. Ancient tribal designs and body art are real hot for summer; the designs look fabulous paired with the bohemian and Asian-influenced fashions.