Ancient henna wooing Hollywood celebrities

Henna, which has been playing a vital role in Hindu weddings since ancient times, is becoming popular with Hollywood and other celebrities.

Also known as mehndi, it is turning into an in-thing with celebrities as a trendy alternative to traditional tattoos. Although the final result is similar to tattoo, but the mehndi experience is delightful and painless, and the images are temporary, according to acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed.

Starting with actress Demi Moore and singer Gwen Stefani, many celebrities have been seen sporting this body art, including entertainer Madonna; actresses Drew Barrymore, Daryl Hannah, Angela Bassett, Laura Dern, Kathleen Robertson, Mira Sorvino, Naomi Campbell, Trudie Styler, Nicole Eggert, Justine Bateman, Yasmine Bleeth, Liv Tyler, and Barbara Hershey; musicians The Artist Formerly Known as Prince and Sting; singers Mayte Garcia and Erykah Badu; actors Elijah Wood and Laurence Fishburne; boxers Kassim Ouma, Michael Katsidis, and Bernard Hopkins; model Nell McAndrew.

Associated with joy, celebration, festivals, and weddings, it has a recent renaissance in Hollywood.