Types of tattoos according to the country:
It is one of the enigmatic things that you will discover in one of your trips to Morocco, if you have the opportunity to do it as well as make a colorful drawing, that makes you different from the others, which is usually called mehndi. In Morocco, it is usually used mainly as protective symbols of the evil eye.
It is said that they have Baraka, which means that they have positive powers and they apply to attract good luck and protect from diseases. When traveling to Morocco, if you wear henna be careful in the hotels. Well, many times these tattoos leave stains on bed and bath linens that are very difficult to wash, and lately they try to charge guests the damages caused by said stains.
The Arabic style is very naturist, using symbology that reflects elements of nature, such as leaves, flowers and stems. They are more fluid designs and with more space between their elements, which in turn tend to be larger.
The African style is usually more geometric and symmetrical and is often used on special occasions such as weddings and parties. They usually include numbers, patterns that represent plants and flowers, verses from the Koran.
In India Mehndi is used a lot in the traditional weddings, in which the bride is adorned with complex, intricate tattoos and with numerous lines, dots and floral motifs.
An incredible story coming back by train from a trip to Udaipur
What I tell here happened in real life, it is not fiction and I am not exaggerating the facts to improve the story. That's how it went. This happened on a train that I took after my trip to Udaipur to return to Delhi. My trip to Udaipur was the last I made in Rajasthan, and it was several months after I had gone to Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. That trip to Udaipur, short but special, was a dream come true.
I finally managed to sit down, after waiting for a bench at the train station to be vacated, and I was as comfortable as I could resting my feet in the shopping bag I had made all that day, the last of my trip to Udaipur. The train arrived a little later and we immediately went to look for our positions.
We sat there happy that finally, we were going back to Delhi (something strange, because it always made me happy to leave Delhi, not to return). The trip to Udaipur, the last we would do, was over. Or so I thought. This return to Delhi of the trip to Udaipur by train was a very special one for me. But I had no idea how incredible it was going to turn out to be.
After waiting 10 minutes while the other passengers got on, the train started and our compartment was alone, it was just us, happy that no one else was going, although we already knew that our next bed would arrive at the next station (or stretcher?). I was very calm, and I felt comfortable because it was a train trip after many and it was no longer difficult for me to close my eyes all night.
Suddenly I saw him. He was a man around the age of 70, he came to stand in front of us and looked at me with his small black eyes behind his glasses and yelled at me to stop from his bed, without the slightest decency. on trains in India, people generally sit between 6 and 9 at night in the lower bed (there are three beds in each division of the compartment, that is, 6 in total).
Some people bring their food, and others read, and others look at the cell phone and another has their hearing aids on, and so on. But everyone sits a few hours, and then all the beds open and everyone goes to bed. I replied calmly that I knew that this bed did not correspond to me, that mine was the bed superior to that and that I could not open it until everyone wanted to sleep.
But that only increased the shouting on the part of the man, so with much indignation I took off that position. The screams were not expected from the people who travel there or near us (including my boyfriend), and an impressive uproar was formed. The Indians, as good curious as they are, surrounded the entire compartment to see what the scandal was until a ticket checker arrived.
The ticket checker tried to calm everyone down and assigned us to another compartment in a different wagon. All the passengers who went there looked at me curiously, but it was not the usual look, I think everyone knew what was happening and tried to be friendly in the eyes.
In the next station, the great majority of them got off, and we were with an gentleman with glasses with very thick glasses, who began to speak to us in Hindi, and to offer us his food and the peanuts masala that he was enjoying too much. I was still silent and did not say much, but he ignored our encouragement and took out his cell phone.
He started showing us a 45 minute video of a marriage, and of course, it was all in Hindi. Since I did not understand what he wanted to teach me, to every distraction of the man, I tried to return the cell phone, telling him it was all very nice, but he waited for another part of the story to begin and he gave it back to me so I could find out everything. (The subject itself was very tender, not annoying).
A few minutes later, a man arrived who noticed the inconvenience we had at the beginning of the tour, and sat down to greet us and explained that the man showing us the video on his cell phone was a guest of his daughter's marriage, as well as others 50 passengers who were on that train, which included family and close friends (and not so close as well) who were heading to Delhi for the big event.
Generally the weddings in India are celebrated in the city of the bride, but apparently several relatives of the groom, being elderly, could not make a trip to Udaipur, so they decided to make the wedding in Delhi. For that date I do not remember the number of marriages I had attended, but never, none of them, was as exciting as this meeting.
The future bride told us that her fiancé was a man she had only met once in her life, and that they had spoken twice on a cell phone. And there she was, on a train trip to Delhi, on the way to starting her married life with a person she did not really know. I tried to distract by seeing the beautiful henna tattoos, as well as the knot that the future husband would have to untie with one hand
This with the purpose of getting to know each other and feeling comfortable, when the moment had already passed. They would be united for the rest of their lives. I think the mixture between my amazement and some sadness was noticeable, but I was not the only one to ask a thousand questions, fortunately.
They wanted to know about the trips we have made and what we would do, and her wide brown eyes made me believe that she saw us as rockstars that did what they wanted with their lives. And basically yes, it is. We have incredible freedom. Before going to sleep, the groom asked me to accompany him to the next car, where he was part of his family.
When we arrived, I saw that all the women were sleeping next to some very small children, while the movement of the train rocked them and the sound of the rails lulled them, as it happens to me. They all woke up, when the future bride took out the suitcase that was under the stretcher and began to show me her things.
The mother gave her directions on how to take the clothes, the grandmother thought and scolded and the aunts also told her what to do. In the suitcase, there were first the gifts that she would give to her future sisters-in-law, each one would receive a typical saree, as well as all those I saw and those I fell in love with on my trip to Udaipur.
They were in silk and with spectacular embroidery, with a set of matching bindis and 10 rupee notes for luck, one of many Indian omens. Then she showed me the sarees of his sister and her mother's, which left me speechless. I thought they were the most beautiful Indian dresses and dresses I had seen in India, until I saw her wedding dress.
It was spectacular saree in red, as is the tradition, and with details on the canvas that could take me all my life trying to describe. After that, she took out of the suitcase a small box full of jewels, separated five pairs of earrings. Then she narrated about the mehndi and sangeet rituals.
The mehndi night is a very busy night. Some families don't cut out on any ritual so that sangeet night also needs to be clubbed. And none of it can be too long, or else the wedding muhurat will be gone. So, how to pull off a good mehndi party with so much going on? I will try helping you with some mehndi party ideas that are both, fun and simple. Let's not go for anything too elaborate here, but it must be fun. Apart from googling wedding venues near me, catering services, entertaining ideas make sure you have planned well for your mehndi night as well to make it a rocking and memorable one.
Use shortcuts
Some of these shortcuts may not be allowed in your family if they are very strict about the rituals. But for those who will welcome these smart ideas, here they are:
- Get the actual henna for your hands and feet done a day before. Leave some portion out to fill in during the ceremony. Your hands and back get tired sitting so long to get the mehndi on. You deserve to be less stressed on the day of your wedding. Now you suddenly realize so many brides-to-be have mehndi on their hands in their haldi photographs!
- Go for a very private affair. A mehndi ceremony is a private affair anyway. It is not traditional to involve a huge crowd. If you can get just the important people for your mehndi night, things will get wrapped up well in time.
- Club the sangeet ceremony to save time. It might seem like a little too much to deal with, but the sangeet ceremony performances will serve as the henna night ideas and you will have to shot two birds with one stone.
- Wear your hair down if you don't think you can carry that hairstyle long enough to last the wedding. Don't style your hair too much, leave it the way it is so that it is ready to be styled before the wedding. Just put some flower pins in your hair to make it look good.
The most important of all these tips is the first one. Mehndi takes time to dry, your arms will ache sitting like a statue for so long. It is best if you get it done a day before and then do not wash your hands too much.
If any elderly is too worried about bad omens, remind them that it isn't washing your hands a bit that brings bad luck, but washing mehndi off that does it. Of course, neither of it brings bad luck. Mehndi is to make your hands look good. The fate of the marriage depends on the two people and their families involved.
Anyway, let's move on to some party ideas for the night. Though there is hardly any time, there should be something.
Short and Sweet Mehndi Party Ideas
Make sure that the mehndi party is taking place in a different room. If you are short on rooms you can use the haldi ceremony room but do not go to the exact wedding venue.
Decorations
Once this is settled, you can implement the latest ideas for Mehendi night and decorate the room with some cool decor items. Avoid balloons because they make the room stuffy. Get some drapes and lampshades instead. Get lots of lights but put them in the shade of colorful chiffon drapes. This will brighten up the place and make it look complete.
Get the mattress ready for the bride and some comfortable cushions with silk covers for her to rest on, while she sits still to get the mehndi done.
Refreshments
Refreshments need to be everywhere. You don't need to do anything elaborate. You don't need to arrange for a full meal because the wedding night is there to take care of it. But you need to keep the stalls filled with various options for soft drinks. Soda, lemonade, fruit juice, colas, everything should be available. It would be great if you can hire a mocktail maker.
Get some finger foods that the sister of the bride can sneak in to feed her starving sister, well at least, that is the plan. Get enough vegetarian options for the time being so that everybody is ready to munch on the tandoori chicken later. Maybe some paneer sticks, or exotic vegetable salads. Keep it simple but make sure there is food.
Party Ideas
Pep it up within the short time with some Bollywood song and dancing. Club the mehndi party ideas with the sangeet so that all the dancing and singing makes sense at the mehndi.
Get a projector screen for a karaoke night. Make everybody sing. Anybody who wants to get some mehndi on their hands needs to earn it by singing karaoke. This way you get to keep it fun, and you get to decide who is getting the mehndi first, of course after the bride's mehndi is all done.
Play some classic games like antaakshari and dumb charades. This is not just to make sure some guests enjoy. These games and fun sessions are important to let the bride know that even if she is getting married, nothing changes. Her childhood remains intact.
Make it All About the Bride
The bride can't do much. Her hands are in shackles of the wet mehndi and she might be feeling a storm of emotions. There are worries about how the wedding preparations going. There is the fear of the absolutely new life, how she will handle it. And there is the sadness of leaving her own home.
Even if none of this holds true in the case, if she is a woman who already stays away from home and getting married changes nothing that she has already changed in her early twenties, it is still her day. She deserves to hear only the music she likes. She deserves to play the indoor games she always liked as a child.
This time is all about the bride and henna night ideas need to be planned according to her choice.
For those who have the sangeet ceremony before their wedding, do not throw the day away worrying too much about the wedding. Not everybody gets a sangeet ceremony even in a big fat Indian wedding. So, if it exists in your family tradition and if you are lucky enough to have the time to host a sangeet function, do it right by selecting the banquet halls.How to get it right?
Most tips and suggestions stop at telling you the obvious. Yes, you need to get the ceremony right. You need to plan everything perfectly and execute them perfectly. You also need to enjoy and not sweat it too much. But what is everything and what is right and what is too much?
Here, you will find the answers to all these questions. You will find the help you need. Your family must be knowing how to do it, but in case you do not have many active people in your family right now, you will need a little help from people who have done sangeet functions before and have some Sangeet Ceremony ideas for you.
Let's start from the beginning
You need to take care of the essential elements of any ceremony before you let yourself get carried away by the sangeet performance preparations and the dress you are going to wear.
Refreshments: Apart from the meal that will be served, you need to arrange for snacks and juices that will keep people energized to go through with the entire big evening that is planned.
Dinner: Hire a good catering service that will take care of the snacks and the dinner. Make sure the menu has tasty dishes on it but light dishes too so that people don’t get sick after all the dancing.
Beverages: Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks need to be taken care of by two different group of handlers so that there is no mix-up, at least not one you had planned.
Fun Ideas: The traditional sangeet ceremony is not enough. You need some fun ideas that will make your evening a sure success. This is what we will help you with.
Venue Bookings: If the ceremony is not being held at your house, you need to find a venue that is spacious, and has a manager who is willing to cooperate. Last minute bookings always happen at surged prices. So start looking well in time.
Equipment: The equipment you could need, like sound boxes, mikes, and a working spare set of electrical gadgets, need to be arranged for well in time. Let the venue manager take care of it but keep a tab on the progress.
Decorations: Be smart here. Do not spend too much but make the place look beautiful anyway. Go for lots of balloons and colorful drapes to brighten up the place. Make sure there are enough lights everywhere.
Budget: Though this is listed last, the budget is the most important factor here. Make sure you don’t cut into your wedding budget but at the same time, make sangeet function’s food, drinks, and games a generous affair. Find the balance for yourself.
Once these things are taken care of, you can devote more time to the function, the games, the dance, and your appearance for the day. Have a group of friends and cousins handle various angles of the event, even if you have already hired a professional group of event planners.
Fun Sangeet Ceremony Ideas
It is very natural for you to look for different ways and some new ideas for your sangeet ceremony. Incorporate the new ideas with the family traditions and you will have a successful and fun ceremony. Here are some sangeet function ideas that are bound to be a hit with the family and the guests.
Karaoke
Let sangeet be at least somewhat about the singing than mostly about dancing. Organise a karaoke event to let everybody participate irrespective of age or skill. Insist everybody to be a sport and take a chance. Keep a list of fun yet simple song lyrics ready for the projector.
Theme
Make it a themed ceremony for more fun. You could make it an Indian Idol theme or a Step Up dance movie theme, or anything that you like. It need not be about dance or music, it just has to be fun.
Awards
Have gifts in the form of awards to add to the events and give people a reason to be more enthusiastic about their performance and participation. Give something to everybody. It need not be anything too expensive. The idea is to make everybody feel included. Be it the show stealer, or the wallflower, be it the child who could’ve been bored, or the grandma who can hardly hear.
Shots
Alcohol makes things more fun. Arrange for some yummy vodka shots for those who are into hard liquor. For every child, and many adults who are not into drinking, have some sizzling fruit soda shots ready. By the way, if you want to get people drunk by mistake, this is your chance. Take responsibility though. Everybody should enjoy at the end of the day.
Photo Booth
Not that photo booths are anything new anymore, but it is a must. Organise a photo corner with funky decorations and good lighting. Keep enough space for group photos and some props for funky pics with friends.
Video Montage
Keep a video montage ready to surprise the bride. Make a slideshow of photos of the bride from her childhood with her family, her school and college life with her old friends, and some short videos of special days. It will bring about many silent tears. It will set the mood for some more much-needed fun.
Fortune Teller
Get a fortune teller with the tarot cards and magic orb and everything to mesmerize children, or at least confuse the smart ones. Let adults who believe in horoscopes get a real reading. It can be fun for believers and non-believers alike.
Mixologist
Get a mixologist to add to the fun of the drinks. Be it cocktails or mocktails, let everybody have a unique mix. Go for fire shots and shot contests if you want to notch it up. You can keep this idea for the after party with close friends and cousins. Let the kids and the elders go to bed.
Games
Have games like antakshari, dumb charades, passing the pillow, musical chair, and spin the bottle. Have tasks for every round and don’t let anybody be a spoilsport. Include all the children and encourage them to have fun and laugh as much as they want.
Dancing Contests
Let there be two dance battles, one for the rookies and one for the pros. Have a serious dance battle with freestyle or hip-hop moves. Let the rookies try to perfect the Bollywood steps and give away winning and participation prizes to both teams in the form of chocolates.
Magician
Bring in a magician to do some card tricks and disappearing acts to thrill everybody. You could use an outdoor venue to let things get a little spooky.
Graffiti Walls
If it is your house, go bonkers on the walls that need redecorating. You will cover them up with drapes for the wedding anyway. If it is a different venue, bring out huge canvases to stick to the walls. Let everybody go crazy with spray paint. Have the friends with some real expertise show off their talent on a reserved wall. Don’t forget to pose in front of it.
Candy Stalls
Get candy stalls for the little ones to keep them busy when the adults are having too much fun, to give them attention. But limit candy for the adults and give unlimited candy to the children, just for this one day.
Food Trucks
For those who are not much into sweet stuff, a food stall with phuchkas, papdi chat, mini burgers, popcorn chicken, popcorn for real and some more vegetarian and non-vegetarian options is a good idea. Make both, the food truck and the candy stall stand outside the main area.
Private Rest Area under the Sky
Everybody will need a few minutes to take a breath. If it is a daytime celebration, make sure there is an indoor cool space for people to sit back and relax for a while. If it is an evening event, lay out some chairs under the sky at a distance from the crowd but close enough to the beverage and food truck.
If you pull off these sangeet ceremony ideas well, every guest will love the day and will appreciate your thoughtful efforts. Plan ahead and get enough helping hand so that you too can enjoy the day.
I woke up at 7 in the morning the next day and the stretcher next to it was empty. My trip to Udaipur had officially ended when I fell asleep. I saw that we were moving slowly towards the Old Delhi station, but as much as I looked out I did not see any of the people on that trip again.
I went down to the crowd of the station wishing to see the future bride, wanting to say thank you and wish you luck and happiness in your marriage, but everything was like a petty prayer before I lost myself among the people who went out to the street, chaos of New Delhi.