Punjab Henna Party
A weekend in early March I had the pleasure of doing henna for an Indian wedding party. The bride is a Sikh from Punjab in India. I did her bridal henna as well as various designs for her relatives, in-laws, friends and countless little girls. The party was held in a friend's house in Jackson Heights in Queens, NY. The house was packed and all night Indian music blared through the house. Toward the end of the evening someone put in a CD of Punjab dance music which got everyone out onto the "dance floor". I was too busy to eat but was offered some Indian snacks while the guests at the party ate pizza and lasagna!
I was fortunate to be helped out with the henna work. Two women of the family whipped out some cones of Pakistani henna and got to work, doing designs on the kids while I concentrated on the bride. And, much to my surprise and pleasure, my assistant, Constance (aka Aicha) found her latent henna skills. Constance usually comes along on henna gigs to help with the lemon-sugar, wrapping, explaining aftercare, warning against black henna, advising on design selection etc. I wouldn't be able to survive without her. So many of the kids wanted henna that Constance was forced to get out a henna bottle and go through her baptism of fire. She always claims that she can't do more than x's and squiggles in henna and she said so to the kids and yet actual designs came out of her bottle! Everyone left happy with their designs (not to mention their lemon-sugar and wrappings). I left realizing that henna has introduced me to many remarkable and even strange situations, one of the many benefits of the job.
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Amy came to me for henna and then sat next to me for most of the night watching and asking questions |
A friend of
the bride with designs from |
This girl had her palms hennaed by one of the Indian henna artists, and then... |
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Constance did the backs of her hands |
One of the Indian henna artists with a cone of Pakistani henna |
Constance at work on one of the wedding guests |
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Puja showing off designs done by one of the Indian henna artists |
Puja and Shivali were the most enthusiastic henna patrons I have ever seen; they devoured the henna books and wanted every design. The came back to us again and again for new designs to fill up their tiny hands |
The other Indian henna artist (in the orange dress, in the back) taking a break from her work |
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The glowing bride, Venki, showing off her hennaed hands |
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The bride's
hennaed hands and feet
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