One form of tattooing that began in India and spread around the world is mehndi, sometimes spelled 'mehendi' and in other ways. It is popular among women in India, especially brides at their weddings. One of the chief reasons for its popularity is the use of henna on the skin surface, so it washes or wears away without a trace.
All sorts of claims are made for henna, from the symbolic to health claims. When used as part of a wedding there are traditional designs attached to geographic areas. There is an organization of mehndi artists in the US. A comprehensive website of mehndi can be found here.
Traditionally in India mehendi is applied to hands and feet. But there are no mehndi police, so other body parts are used, such as those painted in the enclosed photo from an Irish website.
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