The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Intricate designs on palms At Work

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Sunday, Sep 07, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Intricate designs on palms At Work

K. Lakshmi

— Photo: S.Thanthoni

Deft work: A mehendi artist decorates the palm of a customer at his make-shift shop on Mint Street, Sowcarpet.

CHENNAI: The tough competition on Delhi streets drove them to Chennai. Here again, they are on the streets, but earn a better livelihood.

Mehendi designers can be spotted on the pavements of busy shopping areas in the city such as T.Nagar or Sowcarpet earnestly beautifying palms of the customers. They brought in the elaborate north Indian ‘mehendi’ designs at a low cost to a city that was used to traditional, simple ‘marudani’ designs.

The art of applying mehendi, which is a popular ceremony in the north Indian weddings, is increasingly gaining prominence in south Indian weddings too.

The designs now have been brought to even doorsteps for brides, thanks to the artists who mostly hail from Delhi or Hyderabad. While most of them chose to set makeshift shops near Panagal Park, T.Nagar, some artists have started work in Sowcarpet and Mylapore. Interestingly, it is only male mehendi artists who have set up shop on Chennai streets.

From Arabic, Rajasthani, Marwari to the Bombay style and intricate bridal designs, the men are skilled in various types of the art. The price ranges between Rs.25 to Rs.400. Though most of them know only Hindi, they attract customers with their creative skills.

A few mehendi cones, bottles of eucalyptus oil, mehendi patterns and small plastic stools define the business space for R.Sunil at Mint Street, Sowcarpet. “I spend nearly 12 hours on the streets applying different types of mehendi on the customers’ hands. I earn between Rs.100 to Rs.400 a day depending on the intricacy of the designs. I get more work during the wedding season.”

His decade long experience is evident as he swiftly squeezes the mehendi from the cone to draw complex designs within a few minutes. “It is a difficult job as it demands a lot of concentration. I strain my eyes and often suffer back pain as I have to stay bent for hours. But, I enjoy it,” he said. Sunil even has a visiting card with his mobile phone number and temporary address on street corners printed to rope in customers.

B.S.Shivam, who practices his trade near Panagal Park, has a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Delhi. His interest in the art made him a full-time mehendi artist. “I started out on pavements in T.Nagar a few years ago. I also have a shop in Broadway,” he said.

“I don’t apply black mehendi as the chemicals used in it can affect customers. I buy materials from Delhi whenever I visit my family as I am particular about the quality,” he added. Several of them share rooms in suburbs and travel long distances to eke a living. Husiyar Singh practices the trade in Anna Nagar with his brother. “Both of us earn up to Rs.8,000 a month. I don’t take more than one bridal order per day as it means a lot of strain. Beauty parlours are not a competition for us as we cater to people who cannot afford such high rates,” he said.

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