Bridal alta is the new mehendi for modern brides who value the traditions of the past. Get to know more in the blog.
Celebrities have been known for creating and ending trends for years. From mini bags to monochrome looks, every trend has found a place in the closet of one or the other celebrity and has thus, reached the world. Something similar seems to be rising in the case of the sudden and magnanimous popularity of bridal alta. With brides such as Sonakshi Sinha and Aditi Rao Hydari opting for a bridal alta rather than a bridal mehendi, one can only sit and wonder about the reason for the same.
Well, you need not wonder any more as Team Wedding Affair is right beside you to put a magnifying lens on the purpose and popularity of bridal alta amongst the contemporary brides who value culture and heritage just as much as the latest trend.
Rise Among the Stars
While recent celebrity brides including Patralekha Paul, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditi Rao Hydari have opted for adorning the bridal alta on their hands for their wedding day, the traditional dye has also been having its fashion moment. Recently the fashionista of Bollywood, Sonam Kapoor applied alta on her hands to compliment her crushed silk lehenga from the shelves of Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla for the Ambani Ganesh Utsav.
In 2023, world-renowned designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee made a breathtaking case for bridal alta while promoting his ‘Heritage 2023’ collection to highlight the timelessness, cultural and traditional significance of the bright red dye. Later in the same year, designer Karan Torani made use of the dye to signify its association with female goddesses and its symbolism in the cycle of life and birth. For its cultural and traditional significance, the bridal alta has become a must-have addition to the bridal look of a traditional bride. But why so? Let’s find out!
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Origin of the Bridal Alta
The word Alta has been derived from the Sanskrit word, ‘Alaktaka’ meaning ‘red juice’. Also known as Mahavar or Lakshaya Rasa, it was traditionally created by soaking the roots of the Alkana Tinctoria plant, also known as Ratankot in hot water to extract the deep red colour. Later, it was mixed with fitkari (alum) and turmeric (haldi) to gain a vibrant red colour.
The earliest evidence of Alta can be traced to the Vedic period between 1500 BC to 600 BC. It has been mentioned in religious scriptures such as the Mahabharata and Abhigyan Shakuntala where the females are mentioned to have applied alta on their hands and their feet. Interestingly, it also forms an important part of the sholah shringar mentioned in Kamasutra.
Bridal Alta VS Bridal Mehendi: The Bride’s Choice
Although primarily used in the regions of Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, bridal alta is now popular all over the sub-continent and even beyond.
- One of the reasons why brides should definitely opt for applying the bridal alta is due to its quick drying time. It has a light-weight texture due to less water addition and has less moisture. Thus, it dries quickly and is a no-brainer choice for brides who like to enjoy their festivity without the worry of drying their mehendi or even spoiling it.
- Another reason for its popularity is definitely how smooth it feels on the skin and how easy it is to wash it off. For brides who would love to have bridal alta on their hands for a day, applying it sometime before the wedding ceremony is ideal. Additionally, you can secure its colour by spraying some makeup setting spray onto your hands and feet. It also prevents you from experiencing the skin that starts to peel after applying mehendi.
- It has healing properties! Made with betel leaves, slaked lime and turmeric, it is known to have stress-releasing, anxiety-reducing and anti-septic superpowers.
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In the crescent moon shape, in the sun shape, fused with mehendi or the traditional Bengali way, brides, bridal alta should be your go-to choice for the ongoing wedding season due to its cultural significance and aesthetic beauty.