Teens Paint the Library, and Themselves, Red at Henna Workshop

Teens who entered the  Thursday night with big smiles and clean hands left with even bigger smiles and hands full of ink. 

It’s OK, though, it should wash off in one or two weeks. 

About 10 local teens came out to enjoy some of the sights and sounds of India, learn about the history of henna and do a little inking of their own, with the assistance of Seema Moondra.

Moondra, of Enjoy Explore India, began with an overview of henna (mehndi), including its history and cultural significance in Eastern Asia, before bringing out her artifacts and traditional music. 

This form of Indian body decoration dates back to the Bronze age. Moondra believes it is so popular because of the red color it leaves behind, a color of good fortune in Eastern Asia. Made from a powder derived from the henna plant, the paste is used in everything from hair dye to medicine. 

“I love this, it was a complete immersion of culture,” said Ann Marie Latini, the head of the teen division at the library.

Beginning with pencil and paper, teens drew their own henna art before getting cones full of henna paste to trace with. While they practiced, traditional Indian folk music—an essential part of mehndi application—played in the background for inspiration.  

Then it was off to application, where steady hands proved to be key as Moondra brought a unique design to each teen’s hand.

Each girl able to take home a cone for further practice.

“I want to try to make a bird,” Hannah Dover said. “That would be cool.”

Dover says that she was unfamiliar with henna until her mother encouraged her to try the workshop. Now she’ll be looking into henna designs and using her cone to make her own.

For Theresa Byers, the best part of the workshop was dancing. Moondra encouraged all the girls to participate in traditional Indian dances, common of those at weddings.   

Moondra, who moved to the U.S. in 1987 from Rajasthan, India, says she always loved henna as a child. While she works as an interior designer in New York, she still finds time to share her culture with others—something she had thought a lot about when her son turned 5.

“That’s when you start thinking, how do you pass on your culture?” Moondra said. “How do I teach culture in a mainstream way?”

Now Moondra is part of Enjoy Explore India, an organization dedicated to bringing the Indian culture to children through fun and hands-on workshops, such as henna.