History of Mehendi

the art of applying Henna on the hands and feet is known as Mehnedi. The Mughals brought Mehendi to India  in the 12th century. During that period the royal and rich use to decorate themselves with it. The designs were intricately made by artists or beauticians. Indian weddings are incomplete without the mehendi ceremony .The ritual of mehendi ceremony is followed in every part of the country where the hands of the bride are adorned with the lovely red color of the mehendi. On these festive or wedding occasions mostly traditional Indian designs are made on the hands of the bride.  

According to professional henna artist and researcher Catherine C Jones, the beautiful patterning prevalent in India today has emerged only in the 20th century. In 17th century India, the barber's wife was usually employed for applying henna on women. Most women from that time in India are depicted with their hands and feet hennaed, regardless of social class or marital status.The art of Mehendi has existed for centuries. The exact place of its origin is difficult to track because of centuries of people in different cultures moving through the continents and taking their art forms with them and therefore sharing their art with everyone along the way. 

Henna designs have traditionally fallen into four different styles. The Middle Eastern style is mostly made up of floral patterns similar to the Arabic textiles, paintings and carvings and do not usually follow a distinctive pattern. The North African style generally follows the shape of the hands and feet using geometrical floral patterns. The Indian and Pakistani designs encompass more than just the feet and hands and generally extend further up the appendages to give the illusion of gloves and stockings which are made up of lines, paisley patterns and teardrops. Lastly, the Indonesian and Southern Asian styles were a mix of Middle Eastern and Indian designs using blocks of color on the very tips of their toes and fingers. All of these styles remain popular today but have also been joined in popularity by Celtic designs and Chinese symbols.

here's a link of A-Z about henna.

the royal and rich decorating themselves with mehendi/henna

Th ladies with henna on their hand, performing a ritual

Reference:

1. Digital Library. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2011, from http://archnet.org/library/dictionary/entry.jsp?entry_id=DIA0481