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| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
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Mesmerising Mehendi
by Umangi de Mel
Twenty year-old Farhath Hathy, says designing with Henna is a favourite past time. "I've always been into drawing and art. Doing Mehendhi designs on hands and feet has been my greatest passion, since I was twelve years old," she says. Farhath was inspired the very first time she tried a design on her hands, when one of her aunts, who lives in Dubai, sent her a book of designs and the Mehendi mixture. "It's more like a hobby, but I think my hobby is turning into a profession without my knowledge," says Farhath modestly, adding that she gets opportunities everyday, making her committed to her passion. "Initially, my greatest fans were family and friends, but when others got to know about me doing designs with Henna on the palms and hands, they too wanted it done," she says, recalling how she got into the field, and adds "After the Advanced Level, I took what I was doing a bit more seriously and got down to giving it my best shot."
Young girls and middle-aged women, fell in love with the designs," she says. The next place, where her talent was exposed was at the Bridal Consumer Fair, and Kids Kingdom held at the Convention Centre." Farhath and adds that she will have the next Mehendi stall at the 'Dream Bride' exhibition to be held at the B.M.I.C.H. Talking about the Mehendi mixture, Farhath reveals that she gets it specially made from India. "The mixture includes tea leaves, other chemicals and Mehendi. The Mehendi leaf alone does the trick, since it has the power to leave a stain". The Henna she says dries off in 15 to 20 minutes and eventually falls off. The designs can be done on any part of the body including the nails. Mehendi has become a real craze and the latest trend among young people. Especially for those who don't have the chance to get permanent tattoos done, a Mehendi design is the best bet. "Unlike tattooing, which is harmful to the body, Mehendi is not permanent. It goes off in about a week, it's a tradition among Muslims and Hindus, without which an Indian bride would be incomplete. But now it has become a trend. Even the most conventional people get it done. It's pretty popular in society", she comments.
The best part, is that young Farhath doesn't find doing over 500 hands tiring. Instead, she finds it actually interesting. "I love doing it and there's no deadline or pressure involved. Honestly, if I feel tired, I start doing a few designs and all my aches and pains disappear". She says that the mixture doesn't cost much, but it's the effort and time, that she's concerned about. "The duration depends on the design. It could be five minutes or an hour, depending on how simple or intricate the design is," she points out. According to her, the designs vary from floral to the traditional 'liya vel' designs of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa eras. Farhath states that she prefers to be creative with her designs. "I don't like to use books. The special thing about it is that there's no restriction about how you draw it". Apparently a lot of people who are interested in learning the art, request her to conduct lessons but Farhath feels that it's not possible to teach something that she was never taught. "Nevertheless, if you have a passion about something, you learn on your own", she says. Having finished her studies at St. Bridget's Convent in Colombo, the young Mehendi expert says, she gets ample support from her family and friends. "It's not a one-man show, you need support. Sometimes when I have to work till late at fairs, my mother is with me. She always encourages me and I'm very thankful to her". Currently doing the CIMA Intermediate course, Farhath says she loves to listen to sweet melodies such as bird chorus, "And I get my friends to sing if they have good voices". "I'm very talkative" she says, adding "that way, I make good contacts". Farhath feels that from the day she started the Mehendi designs, things have run smoothly for her. "I've been very lucky. I never expected to come so far, in such a short period but I thank Allah for all this". She has a lot of faith in God, and finds covering herself in typical Muslim attire, pretty cool. "I'm very comfortable covering myself and I love it. I personally feel that 'looks' shouldn't be exposed to anybody and everybody. Only special people should be able to admire it". Having a totally different view about the issue, Farhath shows that if you love something, there is no way you'd want to share it with another person, "You wouldn't want the woman in your life to be admired by everyone. Would you?" she questions. That is her concept of covering herself. |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
It's a brides pride, an evergreen symbol
of a culture and a young girl's enthusiasm Henna also known as Mehendi is
a herb which is extremely cooling to the body. Henna is said to be a
disinfectant, which at the same time nourishes the hair, skin and helps
heal cracked feet. 
Farhath has taken her talents out of home and has turned professional.
Her first Mehendi stall, was held at he school fair organised by Holy
Family Convent. it was here that she came into the limelight, and her
talent and skills were spotted immediately. "People really loved the
designs. 
Hoping to do more of it, in the future, Farhath says that she wants to
start her own salon, "which will be at home of course", she says and adds,
"I've already got a lot of clients, especially after the fair. During the
fair, I must have done nearly 700 hands". 
