Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Intricate motifs

Cashing in on the fad among girls

PHOTO: M. MOORTHY

ATTRACTIVE Exquisite designs Photo: M. Moorthy

Mehndi is a traditional art that has constantly been reinvented to suit the tastes of different generations. The huge popularity of the art has attracted a group of enterprising lot of girl students, who are now literally cashing in on the fad.

Mehndi designing presents an enticing opportunity for girls who are looking to make some extra pocket money. The trendy temporary tattoo has attracted youngsters, who look for the clarity and creativity to define a fashion statement. Mehndi has caught the fancy of many college-goers and makes a sure appearance at parties and weddings. For enterprising students, this is a potential job market.

Pocket money

K. S. Chitra, a second-year student of Shrimati Indira Gandhi College, gets into business at every inter-college cultural and inter-departmental exhibition. She charges Rs. 10 per hand to create intricate motifs. "It may not be a lot of money, but it helps me meet my shopping expenses. I save for a month and spend it in next two days," she grins.

S. Hema, her counterpart, says she has earned Rs. 500 in two months, by doing mehndi during hostel parties. Since the trendy designs go well with western outfits as well, girls are not ready to miss it on any special occasion.

R. Vaidehi makes it a point to experiment with new designs, keeping her update with latest designs hitting the net. "People pay for my designs. I need to be as professional as possible," says this final-year grad. She does it for minimal cost for her friends and acquaintances, and charge a little more for others. She now plans to tune her talent to perfection before trying on brides' hands.

In trend

Though the north Indian and now metropolitan tradition of `mehndi raat' hasn't set the trend in Tiruchi, the conventional `marudhani' pattern is no more in vogue either. In trend are shaded mehndi with contrast of red, maroon and brown, Arabic mehndi with stone decorations and natural mehndi with intricate designs.

But these decorations need expert hands to give it a creative touch, feels mehndi designer S. Rani, who works at a parlour in Cantonment. "It needs professional practice to work on a bride's hand. You can't redo it, even if you wish," she says.

But Vaidehi emphatically disagrees.

"A parlour charges hundreds for each hand. Few colour stones and glitters are all needed to make a perfect wedding design. The cost works out to much lesser than Rs.50," she calculates.

A dash of imagination is all that this profession demands. The fun and frisk involved, albeit the little takings, makes it an ideal part-time job for the creative lot.

S. AISHWARYA

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail