60 Second Docs | Pavan Dhanjal @pavanhenna is the World's Fastest Henna Artist, holding the Guinness World Record for her artistry with the temporary bo... Instagram.

The origin of "mehndi" is from the Sanskrit word "mendhika," which refers to the henna plant that releases a red dye. According to A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi and English Mehndi also refers to "the marriage-feast on the occasion of the bride's hands and feet being stained with henna."

Mehndi (also called Mehandi) is the traditional art of painting the hands, feet or body with a paste made from the powdered, dried leaves of the henna plant (Botanical name : Lawsonia Inermis). It stain's a usually cherry-red to brown color but this can vary with time left on and a range of other factors.

The Henna paste symbolizes good health and prosperity in marriage, and in some cultures, the darker the henna stain, the deeper the love between two individuals. Henna designs are not tattoos—a tattoo is permanent as ink pierces the skin, while henna is a temporary dye which sits on the skin's surface.