mehndi is typically applied during special Hindu occasions like weddings and festivals like Karva Chauth, Vata poornima, Diwali, Bhaidooj and Teej. In Hindu festivals,
many women have Henna applied to their hands and feet. It is usually drawn on the palms and feet, where the design will be clearest because the skin on these surfaces naturally contains less of the pigment melanin. Henna was originally used as a form of decoration mainly for Hindu brides. Muslims festivals adopted subsequently during Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha as well.
In the modern age and even due to limited supply of Indian Traditional Mehndi artists, usually people buy ready-made Henna cones,
which are ready to use and make painting easy. However, in rural areas in India, women grind fresh henna leaves on grinding stones with added oil,
which though not as refined as professionally prepared henna cones, brings much darker colors.
The term henna tattoo is figurative, because true tattoos are permanent surgical insertions of pigments underneath the skin,
as opposed to pigments resting on the surface as is the case with mehndi.