Ceremonies & Traditions

What is Sola Shringar?

Sola shringar refers to the sixteen traditional adornments of an Indian bride, such as sindoor, bindi, kajal, bangles, anklets and mehendi. Henna on the hands and feet is one of the most important of these adornments.

Sola Shringar explained

The exact list varies by region and family, but mehendi appears in almost every version. Married women also observe sola shringar on festivals such as Karva Chauth and Teej.

This tradition is why feet mehendi and alta remain an important part of bridal looks in many communities.

Also searched as: solah shringar · 16 shringar · sixteen adornments of bride

Mehendi designs related to sola shringar

Feet Mehendi

Feet mehendi is a design applied to the tops of the feet, toes and often the soles, usually matching the hand design for brides and ending at the ankle or extending up the leg.

Bracelet Mehendi

Bracelet mehendi is a jewellery-inspired design that draws a cuff or chain around the wrist, often linked by fine lines to a central motif and finger rings like a haath phool.

Marwari Mehendi

Marwari mehendi is a heritage bridal style from the Marwar region of Rajasthan, known for complete coverage, fine figure work and rituals in which the groom's name is hidden in the bride's design.

Related mehendi terms

DulhanDulhan is the Hindi and Urdu word for bride. In mehendi it is used for bridal designs ("dulhan mehendi") and for the figure of the bride drawn on the palm in traditional dulha-dulhan portrait designs.Karva ChauthKarva Chauth is a North Indian festival on which married women fast from sunrise until moonrise for their husbands' wellbeing. Applying mehendi the day before is part of the festive preparation and sola shringar.TeejTeej is a monsoon festival celebrated mainly by women in Rajasthan, North India and Nepal, honouring the union of Shiva and Parvati. Women wear green, sing on swings, fast and apply mehendi as part of the festivities.AltaAlta, also called mahavar, is a red liquid dye traditionally painted on the edges of the feet and palms of brides and dancers in Bengal, Odisha and other parts of India. Unlike henna, it is painted on and washes off in days.

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