Karva Chauth is a Hindu festival that is celebrated by wives praying for their husband's longevity. Many married women observe a fast from sunrise all the way to the moonrise followed by the Puja and breaking the fast.

A tradition that is rooted in North India is now celebrated pan India. Young couples have taken a modern approach towards celebrating this festival, in which both partners fast for each other's well-being. Apart from all the other rituals, there is one thing in particular that interests women. Mehndi or Henna! Mehendi is not related to Karva Chauth in particular as it has a rich history across cultures. It is a popular form of body art in South Asia including countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, and resembles similar traditions of henna as body art found in North Africa, East Africa, and the Middle East. But today we are going to look at Henna designs that are suitable for this occasion.

Today, we have curated a list of Mehndi Designs. You can choose the one most suitable for your personality to apply on your Palms this Karva Chauth! We have tried to cater to all preferences, starting from basics to intricate designs. Hope you find your pick, let's get started. 

Process of Applying Mehndi

• Before moving on to the designs, let's look at the process of applying mehndi. Mehndi paste is usually applied to the skin using, a paintbrush, a stick, or a plastic cone. 
• After about 15–20 minutes, the paste will dry and begin to crack, and 
• During this time, a mixture of lemon juice and white sugar can be applied over the henna design to moisten the henna paste so that the henna will stain darker. 
• The painted area is then wrapped with tissue, plastic, or medical tape to lock in body heat, creating a more intense color on the skin. 
• The wrap is not a traditional method but is used by my young girls who wear it for two to six hours, or sometimes overnight, and then removed. When first removed, the henna design is pale to dark orange and gradually darkens through oxidation, for 24 to 72 hours. 
• The final color is reddish brown and can last anywhere from one to three weeks depending on the quality and type of henna paste applied, as well as where it was applied on the body (thicker skin stains darker and longer than thin skin). An additional thing one can do is to apply all kinds of natural oil, like sesame oil, coconut oil, almond oil, etc to extend its longevity. 

How to Make Mehndi at Home?

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (25g) Henna powder
• 2 teaspoons (8g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons (8ml) essential oil
• Distilled water or lemon juice

Directions:

• Use a disposable container or a container that you no longer use. measure out 1/4 of the henna powder and put it into the container.
• Add 2 teaspoons of sugar to the container. sugar helps the henna to stick to your skin and not crumble off your skin as soon as it dries.
• Add 2 teaspoons of essential oil of your choice. essential oil helps to release the dye from the henna.
• The next step is to mix the mixture very well. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture. You can take the help of an electric mixer to make sure your paste becomes smooth.
• Cover it with saran wrap or a plastic bag and leave it in a warm place for dye release, 24 hours if lemon juice is used, and 2-6 hours if distilled water is used.
• Henna likes to be warm, not hot. 75-85 Fahrenheit (23-30 Celsius) is the preferred temperature for henna paste.

With that out of our way, let's look at some designs from which you can choose your desired Karva Chauth pattern for 2022.

Karva Chauth Mehndi designs to try in 2022

Heart Shaped Mehndi

This Mehendi Design with half-heart designs on both hands is exquisite. You can design it in a way that when the hands are joined it will create a full heart. This heart-shaped mehndi design is quite simple yet stylish. Fingertips are coated with deep dark paste that looks traditional yet stylish.

Bride and Groom Pattern

This mehndi pattern is one of the most popular mehndi designs for newly married women's hands. To recreate this get a bride painted on the center of the palm and a groom on the other hand. It's relatively simple and yet so classy! A unique design for your extraordinary choice. this pattern is perfect for a simple and sober mehndi design with a touch of artistry.

Floral Back

This Mehndi is perfect for the back of your hand. It features lovely plants and flower patterns that extend to the fingers. you can go for a symmetric mehndi design with a huge thick flower as its focus can be a bit too flashy but for new brides celebrating their first Karva Chauth post-marriage, this is an ideal design.

Jewelry Style

This Mehndi design looks royal. It's fairly simple to make and looks amazing. In this design, you can make one or multiple floral patterns. These patterns can replicate any ornament, like a bracelet. When it comes to jewelry mehndi designs, starting off with the basic accessories is always a safe move that can never go wrong. Anklets, bracelets, and rings are great, to begin with. But, if you are feeling particularly quirky and experimental you can ask your mehndi artist to create a gorgeous necklace, armlet, arm cuff, and belly chain for you. And if accessorizing with henna alone is not the ship you want to sail on, then you can always add a dash of sparkle and bling with different stick-on embellishments, rhinestones, faux pearls, and body stickers.

Arabic Mehndi Design

This is one of the latest Henna designs and is trending on the internet. You can go heavy with it or keep it dainty, that's subjective. An Arabic mehndi design is simply characterized by more free-flowing patterns and the inclusion of classic mehndi elements like paisleys, florals, and leaves in a modish way. Arabic mehndi is more scattered and leaves spaces on your hands. It originated in Persia and is common in Arab countries like Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and Oman, therefore, the name Arabic mehndi design. If you are bored with your regular mehndi designs it's time to look at this pattern for a change.

Khafif Mehndi

Khafif is another trendy pattern that many women opt, for nowadays. This pattern also originated from Arabs that tell you that the designs are intricate. This pattern requires a steady hand and immense focus as its extremely detailed. This design mostly features birds, floral elements, checks, blocks, and also shading.

Moroccan Mehndi Design

This style is similar to Arab but at the same time very distinct. They look more contemporary when compared to Arab designs. The designs are also believed to bring luck and ward off any evil. There is a popular diamond-shaped Mehndi design that is supposed to save the bride and groom from the evil eye. 

These designs are fairly simple, so you don't need to worry about hiring an amazing Mehndi artist.

Pakistani Mehndi Design

Pakistani mehndi designs usually include florals, mosques, leaves, mandala designs, and domes. It is tied to the culture of Pakistan. These designs are not that easy to apply and cannot be done by just anyone. If you do manage to get it done, nothing looks more breathtaking than this style. Who doesn't love mehndi designs that look like jewelry? Pakistani Mehendi design depicts the beauty of jewelry incorporated into henna designs. Diamond-shaped designs are interconnected with thin lines, culminating in a long structure similar to a bracelet. This design has intricate patterns and can be adorned by any woman.

Western Style Mehndi Design

Western culture has also adapted to the Henna trend, which is not a religious tradition. They look at it mostly like a temporary tattoo, nonetheless, the patterns are to die for. more subtle and minimalistic form of mehndi design which has been done here. The mehndi design has two circular patterns which also have floral designs. Leafy patterns are also very common in this design. These designs also have other intricate patterns which are common to henna designs. Some heavy western style patterns include elaborate meshwork which looks drop-dead gorgeous.

African Mehndi Pattern

As mentioned before mehndi/Henna has been a part of the West African culture for over a thousand years. African mehndi predominantly represent tribal cultures through their mehndi and patterns, although it bears a lot of similarities with Arabic mehndi in terms of gaps and bold outlines, it has a distinct attribute that sets it apart from the rest and that is it used lots of linear designs.

And with that I come to the end of this article, don't be afraid to take risks this Karva Chauth, go all in with a pattern that you have never tried your hand on before. Also, if you observe fast, this is my gentle reminder to you that your body is the priority, get medical tests done and see if you are fit to observe fast, take it easy and enjoy with your better half. Happy Karva Chauth to you!

Also read: Karwa Chauth: 15 Bollywood movies that celebrate this fasting festival in unique ways