Karwa Chauth, that time of the year when married couple fast for each other to pray for their long lives. Traditionally the fast is kept by the women but these days even the husbands ditch food and water for their better half. One of the most important parts of Karwa Chauth includes married women getting ready for the day, looking their traditional best. And what's an Indian traditional look without amazing Arabic and Indian Henna Mehandi Patterns on hands and feet? *Plays Mehendi Laga ke Rakhna From DDLJ in the background* Right from bright makeup up and heavy saree or lehenga to ornaments and hairstyles, Karwa Chauth is the day, women do a complete solah shringar. This means that women follow traditional sixteen makeup or adornment steps to look prettier. This includes sixteen beauty rituals from head to toe. The process consists of makeup, accessories and ornaments, etc. and Mehendi forms an integral part of the decking up.

Stories have it that the colour of mehndi also indicates the kind of love you will get from your husband. They say that the darker your mehndi, the more your husband mother-in-law will love you. Even if you let alone the superstitions, darker mehndi always looks beautiful. If your mehndi doesn't exhibit a dark colour, the whole purpose of applying an intricate design goes in vain, isn't it? Check out some of the tried and tested, hacks and tricks that work when it comes to darkening the mehndi colour:

The Classic Lemon-Sugar Trick: This hack has always worked, all you have to do is boil some sugar in water and allow it to cool. Once your mehndi design is dried up, dab some of this mixture on your the mehndi pattern with the help of cotton.

Cloves Fumes: It is said that cloves do come in handy when to get darker henna colour.  The 'bhaap' or fumes of burnt cloves on you mehndi design helps you get better colour.

Don't Wash Your Hand After The Henna Dries Up: This is one mehndi mistake everyone makes. Do not use water to take off the mehndi on your palms and feet. Scrape it off by rubbing both your hands against each other.  or remove it using a flat and sharp object.

Apply Oil On The Design: Once you have scraped off the mehndi design, massage your hands with oil to get the best colour.

Add Tea Extract Instead Of Water To Mix Mehndi: Tea leaves boiled in water helps give you a darker colour when mixed with mehndi powder.

Leave Mehndi Longer: Do not scrape off the mehndi really soon. Let it stay till the time it completely dries up.

Let Your Mehndi Dry Naturally: Do not use a blow-dryer or other artificial measure to dry your mehndi up for better colour.

How To Make Henna Stain darker (Watch Video):

Mehendi is not just considered auspicious buts also signifies prosperity and luck, especially on this day. Karwa Chauth holds immense importance for Indians, culturally. Karva Chauth is essentially celebrated by Northern Indians, four days after Purnima in the month of Kartika.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 16, 2019 01:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).