Himachal woman shares how to extract mehndi from stone. Video makes Internet nostalgic

India Today

09-05-2025

A woman from Himachal Pradesh walked viewers through a traditional way of making mehndi from stone, which brought back memories for several social media users and introduced a lesser-known custom to others.A video, shared by Rubi Thakur on Instagram, has gone viral for its slice-of-life look at a pahadi tradition.The clip, which has garnered over 7 million views, begins with Rubi asking viewers if they had ever applied mehndi made from stone.advertisement
She then recalls her childhood days when she and her sisters would prepare the mehndi together. 'Do you know what is there on this stone? It is actually pahadi mehndi,' she says, holding up a stone used for the process.Rubi explains that this kind of mehndi grows on stones in certain areas and was often used during their younger days.In the video, she demonstrates how to extract the mehndi, scraping it from the stone surface, grinding it into a paste, and applying it to her hand with a small stick.Watch the viral video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rubi Thakur (@thakurraveena982)The video resonated with several users who recognised the tradition. 'We used to use this a lot in our childhood days,' a user said, another user added, 'Yes, we have also applied this.'advertisementOthers came across the practice for the first time. 'Never heard of this,' one of the users said. Another user added, 'I have seen such a thing for the first time.'See the comments here:The video showcases how regional traditions stay alive through personal stories, and how they can feel both familiar and entirely new, depending on who is watching.Trending Reel