Pithi and Mehndi Ceremonies - Pre Wedding

The Mehndi Ceremony is a gathering of the bride's female friends and family members, held a few days before the wedding day. The women have their hands and feet painted with henna. The bride gets the most intricate designs and must be careful to let the henna set deeply in the skin, because the darker and longer it remains on her, the stronger the love between her and her husband will be. In the Pithi Ceremony the bride is rubbed with a chickpea flour and turmeric based paste called pithi. This is for good luck and for beautification before the wedding. Lucie also covers her hand with pithi and imprints a white stole that the groom will wear during the wedding ceremony.