mehandi designs for handsAbout one-third of San Joaquin County's South Asian population lives in the southwestern towns of Tracy and Mountain House, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. And as the community continues to grow and establish itself, members look to people like Kapadne - who operates a henna business, Merisakhi, out of her home in Mountain House - to practice and preserve significant cultural traditions."Everybody has to get it done," Kaur said, looking at her hands. "You can't be a bride without it."Kapadne grew up in India and began taking mehndi classes when she was 15. "My auntie used to do it with a toothpick, and I was so into those designs that I decided to learn it," she said.
The precision and speed come with practice."Kapadne buys henna in powder form from India, then mixes it with water, lemon juice, sugar and essential oils to create a paste that can be applied to the skin.The paste dries and hardens, and when it is scrubbed off, it leaves behind an orange-brown stain that darkens over the next several days. The designs gradually fade away, sometimes in days, sometimes over weeks.The mehndi tradition spans many cultures and countries, and Kapadne has studied its various styles. In the Moroccan style, she said, designs tend to be geometric. Mea
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