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Henna Artist Ankur Desai

Tattoos and weddings? Henna artist explains the rich history and cultural significance of henna.By Alex Smith

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-723257.mp3

Kansas City, MO – It's wedding season, and brides and bridesmaids are getting their hair and nails done. And a few, are lining up to get tattooed. Or temporary henna tattoos, which are called mehendi in India. They've been around for thousands of years, but in the last decade, they've become increasingly common in US pop culture.

Ankur Desai is a student at the Kansas City Art Institute and a freelance Henna artist for Indian weddings. KC Currents' Alex Smith talked to Ankur as he was giving a tattoo. He explained his surprise when he first saw henna tattoos becoming mainstream.

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