Henna - Mehndi Plant

Henna (Lasonia inermis), also known as Mehndi Plant is a perennial shrub, which is commercially grown for leaf production. It is also referred to as Madyantika due to its fragrant aroma in flowers. Henna leaves contain a pigment compound called 'lasone' which is used for coloring hair and body.

Mehndi is a natural plant, whose leaves, flowers, seeds, and bark have medicinal properties and it is a major source of natural color. During festivals, henna decoration on the palms of married women is considered a symbol of beauty and gentleness. The glory of its disease-preventive properties has been beautifully described in Ayurveda. It is considered auspicious to apply mehndi on the hands not only on marriage but on many important festivals. While henna enhances the beauty of palm and hair, it is also very beneficial for health.

Benefits of Mehendi Henna (Mehendi) Cultivation:

• In the uncertainty of monsoon, henna is a versatile crop providing fixed income.

• Rainfed cultivation of henna can be done successfully with limited manure-fertilizer use and minimal management.

• Henna is effective in preventing soil erosion, maintaining soil cover, and increasing water conservation in the soil.

• Due to its use in every household as a beauty cosmetic, it is easy to market.

• Being a multi-year crop, the yield and income is assured every year and there is no need to plant a new crop every time, that is, plant it once and yield for many years.

• The henna plant keeps the surrounding environment fragrant.

• Along with makeup, henna is an important medicinal plant in Ayurveda.

• For the successful cultivation of henna, bund the field before the rainy season so that water can be conserved. After clearing the weeds from the field, do a deep ploughing with a disc harrow and cultivator. With the onset of rain, after ploughing the field with a disc harrow and cultivator, the field should be leveled by running a pat.

  Land preparation