Senior Reporter
As Trinidad and Tobago prepares to celebrate Divali, the demand for henna is keeping artists and suppliers busy, with appointments stretching late into the night and an ancient tradition finding new expression among a younger generation.
For Viddwatee Tegree, better known as Vidd, the season brings a familiar challenge: ensuring she has enough supplies to meet demand while juggling appointments, deliveries and a growing network of fellow henna artists.
After nearly two decades in the profession, she has watched mehndi evolve from a largely traditional form of adornment into a popular beauty service attracting customers across cultural and religious backgrounds.
“It’s really a rush,” she said, describing preparations ahead of Divali.
“You have to make sure your products get in in time. You have to make sure you’re well-prepared. You have to make sure you have enough product to supply the demand.”
Sometimes, even careful planning cannot anticipate the demand.
“It does not stop up until 12 o’clock any night, one o’clock any morning,” she said.
An art with ancient roots
Although mehndi is frequently associated with Indian culture, the history of henna extends well beyond the Indian subcontinent.
Henna comes from the plant Lawsonia inermis, a flowering shrub cultivated in warm regions of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Its leaves contain a natural dyeing compound called lawsone, which produces a reddish-brown stain when applied to the skin.
Historical evidence places henna among the ancient civilisations of Egypt and Mesopotamia, where it was used for cosmetic, ceremonial and practical purposes. Ancient Egyptians used it to colour hair and nails, while archaeological discoveries have identified henna colouring on mummified remains.
Over centuries, the practice spread across North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and South Asia, developing distinct cultural expressions.
In India, henna became particularly associated with weddings, religious festivals and family celebrations. Elaborate decorative patterns became increasingly prominent during the Mughal period, contributing to the sophisticated forms of mehndi recognised today.
For brides, the designs came to represent beauty, happiness, prosperity and the transition into married life.
Tegree explained that their significance extends beyond appearance.
“It’s also a symbol of love and commitment, and each pattern you get says a different story.”
A peacock, for instance, can represent beauty, while circular medallion designs can symbolise the cycle of life.
A tradition carried
across generations
The history of mehndi in Trinidad and Tobago is closely connected to the arrival of Indian indentured labourers during the nineteenth century.
On May 30, 1845, the Fatel Razack arrived in Trinidad carrying the first group of Indian indentured immigrants recruited to work on the island’s plantations. Between 1845 and 1917, approximately 147,500 Indians arrived, bringing with them languages, religions, food, music, clothing and family traditions that would profoundly influence Trinidadian society.
Among those traditions was mehndi.
Although historical records do not establish precisely when henna was first applied in Trinidad, its introduction is widely associated with the cultural practices brought by Indian immigrants during indentureship.
The tradition survived through family gatherings, weddings and religious observances, particularly within Hindu and Muslim communities.
In Indo-Trinidadian Hindu weddings, henna became part of pre-wedding celebrations, including maticoor, when relatives and friends gather to prepare the bride for marriage.
Muslim communities also maintained henna traditions associated with weddings and celebrations such as Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.
Over time, however, the practice moved beyond exclusively religious and ceremonial settings. The wider appreciation of Indian culture, public Divali celebrations and the increasing visibility of mehndi artists introduced the art to new audiences.
From childhood pastime to profession
For Tegree, the journey into mehndi did not begin with formal training or a business plan. It started during childhood, surrounded by sisters, cousins and relatives who enjoyed experimenting with henna.
She recalled being the creative member of the family, always interested in drawing and design.
“In a family they always have somebody who’s the creative one, and that was me,” she said.
She and her sisters would purchase ready-made henna cones from shops and experiment with decorating one another’s hands.
The results were not always successful, with smudged patterns, mistakes and occasional arguments forming part of the learning experience.
As her artistic skills improved, she began creating designs for relatives before receiving requests to work at weddings.
“I developed the drawing aspect of it, and then started doing for my sisters, my cousins, my aunts, everybody in the family,” she recalled.
“And then I would do like a little weddings here and there, and that’s really how it began.”
Today, her work extends beyond applying henna. Tegree imports products directly from India, supplying customers and smaller operators who depend on imported materials for their businesses.
This makes Divali particularly demanding, as she must balance her own appointments with sourcing and distributing products.
Despite concerns about the economy, she said demand has remained steady this year.
“I thought it would have been, you know, with the economy, I thought it would have been a little slower this year, but it’s been steady,” she said.
A changing beauty industry
Tegree previously offered services at Divali Nagar, but eventually changed her business model after experiencing the challenges of working in a crowded festival environment.
Customers sometimes complained about the rushed atmosphere and the possibility of freshly applied designs becoming smudged.
She subsequently developed a private clientele and moved to a home-based, appointment-only operation, while continuing to offer house calls.
“I build my clientele on the outside, which is way better for me,” she said.
“I don’t have to pay a rent, and I don’t have to deal with customers in the rush of everything.”
Mehndi is now sought for birthdays, weddings, cultural events and personal celebrations, with designs ranging from elaborate patterns covering the hands and forearms to smaller floral, paisley and geometric arrangements.
Research conducted at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, in 2020 by visual arts researcher Cassie Shivanie Jagmohan documented the expansion of henna beyond traditional cultural settings, including growing interest among people of different ethnicities and religious backgrounds.
Tegree has also noticed an increase in the number of people entering the industry.
“The henna industry is getting a little flooded,” she observed.
For established artists, this means having to distinguish themselves through creativity, skill, customer service and product quality.
The importance of
natural henna
The growing popularity of mehndi has also raised concerns about the quality and safety of commercially prepared products.
Traditional henna produces an orange to reddish-brown stain that gradually darkens. However, some products marketed as instant or black henna contain synthetic colouring agents, including para-phenylenediamine (PPD), which can cause serious allergic reactions and skin damage.
Natural henna is valued for its plant-based colouring properties, although commercial formulations may contain additional ingredients. Customers therefore need to know what is being applied to their skin.
Tegree said henna has also gained attention as a hair-colouring product.
“It’s no longer just a product that you apply for beauty on your hands,” she said.
“It is also widely used as a dye for your hair.”
The art received international recognition in 2024 when UNESCO inscribed henna rituals, aesthetic and social practices on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The multinational nomination involved 16 countries across North Africa and the Middle East, recognising henna’s role in celebrations, family traditions and the transmission of cultural knowledge.
