IPL – A superb business proposition!

Since the time Indian Premier League (IPL) started there have been many opinions, for and against – majority against! “India cannot afford IPL”, “Cricket is commoditised”, “Men are sold like sheep”, “It is a big joke”, “Test cricket will die” so on and so forth.

I fail to understand why these people are trying to be holier than the Pope! Guys who have bid for all IPL teams are basically in the business of making money and there is nothing wrong about it. Vijay Mallya, Nita Ambani, Shahrukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Subroto Roy to name a few. There was a fantastic business proposition available for these guys to invest in and they did. Period!

"There are approaches from not only Indian companies, but within 24 hours we got proposals from some very big clubs of the UK. They want to join hands with us. There are many kind of opportunities," Subroto Ray said after acquiring Pune team. If IPL is not a business would these offers come to Subroto Roy? Think!

“Can we spend so much of money in IPL’ – this is a very common question that is asked frequently these days! These guys who ask this question need to understand the difference between ‘expense’ and ‘investment’. All owners of IPL team did not ‘spend’ money. They have only ‘invested.’

Now what is an investment? – Investment is an amount of money spent in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value. Every team owner has achieved this objective or will be shortly be achieving this.

IPL is business - A business can be defined as an organization that provides goods and services to others who want or need them. IPL did not force anyone to go to the grounds and watch the match or watch the match in television. Everyone who does one of the two things is doing so out of his/her own volition!

IPL has to be looked into as a pure business proposition superbly conceived by Modi. Look at the value he has created for IPL in particular and Indian cricket in general. The valuation of every team of IPL has increased considerably since IPL was started three years ago. As of today the highest value – Chennai Super Kings: $48.4 million, lowest – Hyderabad Deccan Chargers: $34.4 million. In just three years after its inception the brand value of IPL stands at $4.13 billion! Now India leads the world in the realm of cricket! A Fantastic achievement! When we evaluate this, from a business angle Modi scores 100 upon 100! I guess there is no other way of measuring this, as value creation is the primary financial performance indicator for measuring and evaluating the financial performance of any business.

Let us be honest to ourselves! How can you indulge in charity without earning a huge sum of money? I know for sure all these owners are doing excellent service to the poor of India. I am not going to write anything on the services each one is doing, because, this blog post of mine is not to sell the owners of IPL teams. Suffice it to say that they are doing lot of charitable work. Not charity, but love of profit, is their raison d'être to be in IPL!

It has now been proved beyond any doubt that this has become a super success. We need to understand that IPL is an entertainment business. Millions of people are entertained directly and through the television. I know how happy my wife and daughter are, when they are watching the cricket match.

Another positive fall out of IPL is that it has brought out many new players to the limelight. Not only that, it has also given an international platform for the young cricketers to perform.

This is an excellent opportunity all these new cricketers getting today. We should thank IPL for this. Sourab Tiwari, Ambati Royadu, and Theron, who knew these players before? At least I did not know these guys before!

For cricketers who have retired from the international scene – IPL offers the second chance. There are many of these guys who are doing extremely well in IPL even after their retirement. What keeps them going? The huge pay packet! If IPL had not been there, probably these players would have become history or expert commentators by now. IPL has definitely given them a second lease of life!

IPL has proved a big success not only in India but even outside India too. IPL-2 at South Africa was a huge success!

Sometime back there was a news item that the Maharastra government was thinking of making IPL tax free. I do not know what the status of this contemplation is. This again is height of stupidity arising out of not understanding what IPL is all about. If all of us are clear that IPL is also like any other business, such stupidities will not arise, and NDTV will also not have an opportunity to have a meaningless program on ‘Can India afford IPL’. It is a successful business and everyone involved in this should definitely be taxed.

Please for God sake treat it like any other business enterprise. Incidentally they are in the business of entertainment. Money making is undoubtedly ‘THE’ objective of IPL. Let us understand this and appreciate the business acumen of Lalit Modi.

Another important issue regarding IPL – The cheerleaders! "The scantily clad foreign girls' dances are certainly obscene and do not gel with Indian sensibilities, culture and ethos," said Mhetre. Indian sensibilities, culture and ethos! Give me a break! Honestly do our politicians know what these three words mean? I like Alyque Padamsee’s (Add guru) view on this: “Dancing cheerleaders are not the high point of culture but then Twenty20 is not classic cricket. Twenty20 is entertainment. It is like WWF, which is not wrestling. Cheerleaders add cheer to the game and yes they wear skimpy costumes but I think there is nothing wrong in that. Item girls in Bollywood films wear much less, so what is the hullabaloo about?"

Finally, Mandira Bedi and IPL. What’s Mandira Bedi’s role in IPL? Nothing! And that is what I feel sad about!

A memento for love.

‘Since the heaven and earth were created, you were made for me and I was made for you and I will not let you go” declared Chang Po to his beloved Meilan (Youtang, 1954, p.73)

“My beloved, the delight of my eyes”, exclaimed Inanna of her beloved Dumuzi in a Sumerian Poem recorded some four hundred years ago (Wolkstein, 1991, p.51)

An anonymous Kwakiutel Indian of southern Alaska recited these words in 1896: “Fires run through my body - the pain of loving you”. (Hamill, 1996)

Then the legend of the love between Prince Salim and a commoner Anarkali. The prince and the girl fall in love. Emperor Akbar deems the romance against royal wishes. The prince rebels and is sentenced to death. Anarkali steps forward and says that she will sacrifice her life instead, but wishes to spend one night with her lover. They have that one night. In the morning, the palace guards take her away and she is sandwiched alive in a brick wall!

Every culture in the world has had its version of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz. In a survey of 166 varied cultures, anthropologists found evidence of romantic love in 147. There were no negative data; in the remaining 19 societies, scholars have simply failed to examine this aspect of life. (The New Psychology of Love, Edited by Robert J. Sternberg and Karin Weis, 1992). India is no exception to this. Layla and Majnu, Satyavan and Savithri, Shiva and Shakthi, Salim and Anarkali and the list is endless. All these pairs have immortalised their love in some form. Shajahan chose to do so by building a cenotaph (Can I call it a cenotaph?) for his wife, who died during childbirth. Taj Mahal is the most beautiful and most precious token of love from a husband to his wife.

Edmond de Goncourt, said “Today I begin to understand what love must be, if it exists. When we are parted, we each feel the lack of the other half of ourselves. We are incomplete like a book in two volumes of which the first has been lost. That is what I imagine love to be: incompleteness in absence”. Shah Jahan must have felt the same way when he lost his wife. Was it to give expression to his love that he built the Taj Mahal? Probably yes.

John Lennon’s view of love; “Love is a promise; love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear”. Shahjahan could have also thought in a similar way.

“Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination”. Voltaire. I entirely agree with Voltaire, looking at the way Taj was conceived and executed by Shah Jahan.

“Love is a great beautifier”. Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) American author. I must say L M Alcott was spot on! As a tomb, it has no match upon earth, for mortal remains have never been housed in

greater grandeur! Sigmund Freud said “One is very crazy when in love”. Very true again because Shah Jahan is believed to have emptied the treasury of his kingdom for Taj Mahal and spent 22 years in building Taj, neglecting his duties as an emperor!

After practicing for 30 years as a psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud said “The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is "What does a woman want?". Perhaps Shah Jahan was also baffled with his Mumtaz! He probably did not know what Mumtaz wanted. Confused thoroughly, did he build Taj Mahal? You never know.

May be the views of Sigmund Freud are a little cynical here, but it is also another way of looking at it.

Someone said,’ I believe that if I should die, and you were to walk near my grave, from the very depths of the earth I would hear your footsteps’. Would Mumtaz have heard the footsteps of Shah Jahan when he walked around Taj?

There are different views and interpretations of Taj Mahal. Whatever said and done the fact cannot be denied that Taj Mahal is indeed India's richest tribute to womanhood.

Now to modern Shah Jahan, Ekambaram.


Who is this guy?

Ekambaram was an ordinary agriculturist in Kelambakkam, Chennai, Southern India. He and his wife were married for over 30 years and were living happily till 2005. His wife Janaki died due to natural causes in 2005. Ekambaram spent 1 million rupees (which was his life’s savings) and built a temple for his wife! (It is in the Kelambakkam main road.)The sanctum sanctorum of this temple has the picture of Janaki and her beloved husband, Ekambaram, prays to it even today in this temple!!! According to Ekambaram, Janaki is still living in this temple! Not many people know about this Ekambaram and his temple of LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shah Jahan and Ekambaram both built a memento for their love. Shah Jahan, was an emperor who had everything in his command. But for Ekambaram only thing that was in his command was his strong love for his wife! That makes the difference!!!!!!!!!

Am I neurotic?

All of us have in us a certain degree of neurotic element. If we look back, we would probably realize that we could have handled a particular situation better! At least I have thought so many times! This indicates that all of us have exhibited a neurotic behaviour sometime or other in our life. Psychologists say that it is quite normal. (I am relieved!) The question is how often we have exhibited such behaviour and that determines if we should be ladled as a neurotic person or not!

If we go by the definition of Neurosis, there are several kinds which psychologists would be delighted to classify and give a high sounding name to it. What I am referring here is the mildest form which does not warrant treatment but disturbs our life to some extent.

Let me take some examples from our day to day life situations.


In personal life I go crazy, sometimes, (although my wife would not agree with the word ‘sometimes’) - When things are not under control, when something is delayed, when I am confronted by a problem which could have been avoided easily, when my home is not neat and tidy (Oops! let me stop, the list is getting too long!)


In my official life the scene is entirely different! If I do not exhibit any neurotic behaviour then something is definitely wrong with me! Everything is chaos - we seem to be thriving is chaos! Everything is ambiguous! Freud says “Neurosis is the inability to tolerate ambiguity.” So a neurotic behaviour in my official life is justified? I think so!


There is a lot of difference between what is real and what is perceived! “My perception is my reality” – very common in corporate meetings! The inability to distinguish subject from object! Again a fertile ground for neurotic behavior! Ok no more about my corporate life.


Coming back to my basic question “Am I neurotic?” I have been having this question in my mind for quite some time now! Why this doubt? Because Freud says “Every normal person, in fact, is only normal on the average.” If this is to be believed, surely I believe Freud; abnormality should exist in every normal person? Then how abnormal I am? Now you understand why I wanted to know “Am I neurotic?”


Sometime back when I was surfing for something and I chanced upon an interesting web site: The Neuroses Psychology Test - Are You Neurotic?

(http://www.neuroses.org/index.html)

Wow! I thought this would help me in answering my question - Am I neurotic? I underwent the test with utmost honesty and I got the result as mentioned below;

You are slightly neurotic and fairly enlightened as well

I was happy when I saw the result! (I am not sure how authentic this test is, but I would definitely like to believe this test as – Genuine and authentic!)

Kanyadaan.

The most emotional of all the rituals of the Hindu Brahmin marriage is Kanyadaan, when the father hands over all his rights and duties towards his daughter to her groom. I did it on January twenty first of this year. Yah! It was quite an emotional moment in my life! Nevertheless, this is an occasion every parent looks forward to. Although at the back of my mind the thought that my “Papu” (That’s how I call her.) will no more be mine and she will have a new person in her life was there, still I enjoyed her wedding thoroughly.

Among wedding day rituals, Kanyadaan is the most vital and significant ritual. Kanya Daan literally means gifting away a virgin, the word is actually a combination of two Sanskrit words, Kanya and Daan, wherein Kanya means a virgin and Daan means donation.

Now to the actual process of Kanyadaan.

Papu was made to sit on my lap and was given away as a gift by me to the bridegroom Ashwin.

On Papu’s head, a ring made of Dharbai was placed. And over it a yoke was also placed. The gold Thali was then placed on the aperture of the yoke. And “Jalam’ (holy water) was sprinkled though the aperture. The priests then chanted a mantra which means:

“Let this gold multiply your wealth, Let this water purify your married life, And may your prosperity increase. Offer yourself to your husband.”

The symbolism of the yoke is drawn out of ancient rural life where the only mode of transport for households was the bullock cart. It is supposed to signify that just as a bullock cart cannot run with just one bull the marriage needs both the bride and groom. Both of them have to face their responsibilities together.

Papu was then given a new saree exclusive for the occasion, called the Koorai Pudavai. Normally the colour of this saree is dark maroon, the colour associated with Shakti. This sari was draped around Papu by the sister of the bridegroom, signifying her welcome into the family of the bridegroom. A belt made of reed grass is then tied around Papu’s waist. The priests then chant mantras which meant:

"She stands here pure before the holy fire. As one blessed with boons of a good mind, a healthy body, life-long companionship of her husband and children with long lives. She stands as one who is avowed to stand by her husband virtuously. Be she tied with this reed grass rope to the sacrament of marriage."

Thanksgiving vedic hymns followed, to the celestial caretakers of her childhood, the deities of Soma, Gandharva and Agni. Having attained nobility, Papu was then free to be given over to the care of the human - her man- Ashwin.

The vedic concept underlying this ritual is figuratively that in her infancy Soma giave her the coolness of the moon. In the next stage of life the Gandharvas gave her playfulness and beauty. And when she becomes a maiden Agni gave her passion.

While offering my Papu to Ashwin I chant the following:

“I offer you my daughter: A maiden virtuous, good natured, very wise, decked with ornaments to the best of my abilities. With all that she shall guard your Dharma, Wealth and Love” 

Then Ashwin returned his assurance to me saying three times that he shall remain forever her companion in joy and sorrow, in this life and life after. 

This is the traditional way a Kanyadaan ritual as performed in a Tamil Brahmin wedding.

Now to the specifics and lighter side of my daughter’s marriage! We are Iyers (People who worship lord Shiva) and the groom is an Iyengar (They worship lord Vishnu). Obviously, as you rightly guessed, it was a love marriage! The entire marriage was a mix of two customs. 

Some differences between Iyers and Iyengars which I observed during my daughter’s wedding. The method of wearing the Madisar (Dress worn during Kanyadaan by the bride) is different. The thalaippu of the Koorai pudavai is put on the right side in Iyers but on the left side in Iyengars. (My wife likes the Iyengar way!)

The dhothi is worn in a particular style called Panchakacham in both our customs. But still there is a small difference. We wear them as it is (in white) but Iyengars dip it in turmeric water and make it yellow before wearing it.

During lunch we serve ‘Rasam’ but they call it ‘sathamudhu’.

The serving person in Iyer style says "innum konjam rasam podattuma or innum konjam rasam venuma". But in Iyengars, it goes like "innum konjam saathamudhu Kettukkarela...”

At the wedding lunch Iyers start serving first with ‘Payasam’. Iyengars start serving first with plantain fruit.

Whenever the bride or groom or both do Namaskaram, Iyers do it once, while Iyengars do it 3 times!

These kutti kutti differences made my daughter’s wedding more enjoyable. But we tried to follow tradition to the best of our ability. On the whole it was great fun!


Post script: Majority portion of the mantras chanted by the priests during the wedding are usually in Sanskrit.

D E G R E E Coffee

Coffee – an obsession or an acquired taste or just an individual liking. Whatever it is, it has become an inseparable aspect of my wife. Someone said and I do not recollect who it is that behind every successful woman there is a substantial amount of coffee. Very true, because I know my wife very well! 

Her day starts with switching on her coffee percolator! If her day does not start with a good cup of coffee her entire day is ruined! According to her coffee is a beverage that puts one to sleep when not drunk!

 She may not know that she
shares this habit with George W Bush, whom she considers the stupidest president America has ever had! I remember seeing an interview of Laura Bush wherein she said that the first thing Bush does in the morning is to bring two cups of coffee, one for him and the other for Laura. (In my own interest she had better not know this!)

So, how did she develop this dependence (she will not like me using this word!) on coffee? She comes from a place in south of Tamil Nadu which is considered to be the citadel of ‘Degree coffee”, Kumbakonam.

Now what is this degree coffee? This is a term often heard for high quality coffee. Milk certified as pure with a lactometer was called degree milk owing to a mistaken association with the thermometer. Coffee prepared with degree milk became known as degree coffee. This is one theory.

Another explanation for degree coffee is that chicory beans were used to make the coffee. The South Indian pronunciation of chickory became chigory then digory and finally degree.

Yet another explanation is that, when coffee is decocted for the first time, it is called as the first degree or simply as the "Degree Coffee". This has the strongest flavor and the necessary strength to mix with milk without watering down the taste. (Ref: Wikipedia)

So there are different explanations why degree coffee is being called so. Whatever the explanation is degree coffee denotes very high quality coffee.

Can it be made by every one? The answer is NO. You need a particular type of coffee filter, a dabara and a tumbler to make degree coffee in addition to the high quality milk.

The decoction for degree coffee is brewed with a metal device (Filter) that resembles two cylindrical cups one over the other. The upper one has a pierced bottom that nests into the top of the lower one, leaving ample room underneath to receive the brewed coffee. The upper cup has two removable parts: a pierced pressing disc with a central stem handle, and a covering lid.

The upper cup is loaded with freshly ground coffee powder. The powder is gently compressed with the stemmed disc into a uniform layer across the cup's pierced bottom. With the press disc left in place, the upper cup is nestled into the top of the lower cup and boiling water is poured inside. It is covered with the lid on top and the device is left to slowly drip the brewed coffee into the bottom. It is generally a stronger brew compared to western "drip style" coffee.

The resulting brew is very potent, and is traditionally consumed by adding to a cup of boiling milk with the preferred amount of sugar. The coffee is drunk from the tumbler (although a word of English origin, it seems to be the most commonly used name for this vessel), but is often cooled first with a dabarah - "daBbarah" (also pronounced in some regions as 'davarah'): a wide metal cup with lipped walls.

Coffee is typically served after pouring back and forth between the dabarah and the tumbler in huge arc-like motions of the hand. This serves several purposes: mixing the ingredients (including sugar) thoroughly; cooling the hot coffee down to a sipping temperature; and most importantly, aerating the mix without introducing extra water (such as with a steam wand used for frothing cappuccinos).

Coffee is something my wife cannot do without. It has also become a cultural icon in Tamil Brahmin culture. Every day in the morning the aroma of freshly brewed coffee will herald the beginning of a new day!

Post script: All my friends love the coffee which my wife makes. Her nephew, who travels to many countries, believes that his aunt’s coffee is the best. Unfortunately I cannot comment anything on her coffee because I drink only Bournvita!!!!!!!!!!!!!

B E A R D

 

Beard - some people like it and some detest it. Nevertheless it is a controversial part (shall I say?) of a man.

There are instances that support both views. Because of a beard, a papacy was lost. That is the story of Johannes Bessarion, a 15th-century cardinal and convert from Greek Orthodoxy who strove to reunite Eastern and Western Christianity. Extraordinarily influential among the Catholic hierarchy, Bessarion was widely thought to be a likely successor to Pope Nicholas V. But at the conclave following Nicholas’s death, a serious personal flaw was pointed out: retaining an Eastern Orthodox custom shunned by Rome, Bessarion still sported a full beard. He lost!

Psychological research has been conducted on this topic, and the outcome have been rather varied. In 1969 Freedman reported that female students rated a bearded male face as more masculine, mature, independent, and sophisticated than a non bearded face. Similarly, both Roll and Verinis (1971) and Kenny and Fletcher (1973) found students rating a bearded face as more masculine, strong, and sincere, but also more dirty (versus clean). Pancer and Meindl (1978) found beardedness to lead to more positive ratings. However, Feinman and Gill (1977) found their female students to like least a man with a beard. Different views, of course.

 

The ancient Greeks and Romans called a beardless man a 'woman faced' man. Instead of men trying to become women, I think that men need to be men. We have seen that Heterosexuality works and let us leave it that way. It works because men and women are different and complimentary. Therefore, my view is that women be very lady-like and that men be very manly. Let's not disturb the equilibrium!

Some men say that a beard is to man what a makeup is to a female! But I do not have any views on this.

I have a beard. More specifically, I have a French beard. I do not have it for any specific reason. I have it. Period! My wife and daughters adore my beard and complain when I shave.

In the past I have not removed it more than 3 or 4 times. Each time when I shave my beard the reactions were – "You don’t look like yourself", " You seem so much younger!".The reactions were always predictable. Looking at the psychology of liking or not liking the beard we are led to a theory propounded by Sigmund Freud. He calls it transference - a term he used to describe how a person's response to another person can be rooted in individual historical experience. To put it simply, if in my childhood I have had an uncle with beard and he was a very nice person, then chances are that I will like anyone with a beard in my present life.

 

 

On the contrary if the same bearded uncle had been a bad person then chances are that I will detest anyone with beard in my present. Feeling affection toward a random person with beard is awkward and socially unacceptable.

Psychologically, this is transference - beards are no exception to this!

Nadaswaram

The Nadaswaram is one of the most popular classical instruments of South India and the world's loudest non-brass acoustic instrument. Basically it is a wind instrument. It is made up of a hardwood body and a large flaring bell made of wood.

In India the nadaswaram is considered to be very auspicious, and it is the key instrument which is played in almost all Hindu marriages and temples in South India. It is part of the family of instruments known as a Mangala Vadya (mangala means auspicious, vadya means instrument). The instrument is usually played in pairs, and accompanied by a pair of drums called thavil.

The nadaswaram contains three parts namely, kuzhal, thimiru, and anasu. Traditionally the body of the nadaswaram is made out of a tree called aacha.

It is a double reed instrument with a conical bore which gradually enlarges toward the lower end. It is usually made of a type of ebony. The top portion has a metal staple (called "Mel Anaichu") into which is inserted a small metallic cylinder (called "Kendai") which carries the mouthpiece made of reed. Besides spare reeds, a small ivory or horn needle is attached to the Nadswaram. This needle is used to clear the mouthpiece of saliva particles and allows the free passage of air. A metallic bell (called "Keezh anaichu") decorates the bottom.

The Nadaswaram has seven finger-holes. There are five additional holes drilled at the bottom which are used as controllers. The Nadaswaram has a range of two and a half octaves like the flute. The system of fingering is similar to that of the flute. But unlike the flute, where semi and quarter tones are produced by the partial opening and closing of the finger holes, in the Nadaswaram they are produced by adjusting the pressure and strength of the air-flow into the pipe. Hence it is a very exacting instrument. Also, due to its intense volume and strength it is basically an outdoor instrument and much more suited for open spaces than for closed indoor concert situations.

Hyderabadi bangles

Laad Bazaar or Choodi Bazaar is a very old market popular for bangles located in Hyderabad. It is located on one of the four main roads that branch out from the historic Charminar.

Laad meaning lacquer is used to make Bangles, on which artificial diamonds are studded.

Hyderabad, ‘The city of pearls’ is famed for its enchanting pearls, beautiful poetry, delicious cuisine and the much in vogue Hyderabadi Bangles. With their adorable appealing colors and ethnic patterns bangles have become a fashion statement for today’s women. Gracefully adapting it with the modern trends this versatile traditional ornament is a fashion accessory enhancing aesthetic beauty.

Bangles are not just a decoration for a woman but are a beauty in itself, ask any Hyderabadi and they will definitely vouch for it!

There are many types of bangles and there are quite a few present near and around Charminar, where bangle sellers weave a web of magic around your wrists. The most famous is the Hyderabadi Lacquered Bangles, studded with glittering and beautifully cut glass pieces of various colors.

Rajastani Wall hangers

This is a hand made Rajastani wall hanger. Traditional patch work coupled with Zaridar thread work and mirrors - make it an object of unparalleled beauty. This sort of embroidered patch work is a craft mastered by the natives of Rajastan. Looking at the serene blue color of this wall hanging, one wonders - was it a way of respite from the scrotching heat and monotony of the deserts?

Indian handicraft is always rich in variety owing to great diversity in the cultural set up of the Indian society. The handicraft produced in far flung regions of India are unique and posseses great historical traditions and artistry.

Predominantly in green with 24 square pattern and plenty of decoration all over the surface, these wall hangings produce an enthralling effect. Various designs and zariwork done inside all the squares in defenite proportion and multiple dimension make the wall hanging mesmorising decorative accessory.

Mehendi Ceremoney

Mehndi ceremony is a traditional and exciting pre-wedding ceremony in India. Indian people are ardent lovers of beauty and elegance. This is what reflects in the Mehndi ceremony before marriage. Mehendi ceremony has been prevalent since ages and forms an integral part of the wedding ceremony that it cannot be imagined without it. Mehndi ceremony usually takes place just before marriage. Mehndi ceremony is essentially organized by the family of the bride and is usually a private affair which takes place in the presence of friends, relatives and family members. During the ceremony, turmeric paste is applied on bride's face, feet and hands. After this, the Mehndi application begins. For applying Mehndi to the bride, a skilled Mehndi expert is called. She applies Mehndi on bride's hands, arms, feet and legs. Traditionally, the Mehndi applied to the bride was obtained by drying the leaves of the Henna plant. According to popular belief, the darker the color of the Mehndi, the more her husband will love her.