The local dealers have succeeded in creating a niche for themselves on the export map and mehndi has regained its position as one of the important products exported in bulk from this industrial town.

Says Ratan Lal Garg of Kuria Mal and Sons, one of the old timers, "In the 1930s, mehndi was exported to the Middle East from this town and, interestingly, people abroad, and in India too, still remember Faridabad as one of the major mehndi producing centres."

The industry started facing problems after 1978 with the coming into existence of HUDA. The Haryana government started acquiring land which affected the natural extraction ofmehndi. "Before the emergence of colonies and sectors, local production was adequate not only to meet the local demand but also for exports. The government's decision regarding housing and industrialisation has ruined mehndi extraction," says Garg.

At one time, Faridabad was contributing 65 per cent to the total mehndi production of the country. But today the production of mehndi leaves is very nominal and confined to a few areas around Tehsil Hassanpur. To tackle this problem, dealers are acquiring raw material from nearby states.

Besides Faridabad, mehndi is also cultivated in Rajasthan and Gujarat. A majority of mehndi dealers in Faridabad get their raw material from Sojat city (Rajasthan). After thrashing and grinding, mehndi powder is supplied further to retail outlets. "Ten years ago, if the production in Faridabad was 65 per cent, it was ten per cent in Sojat city. Today, the situation is just the reverse," says Ramesh Mehndiwala.

"Around 20,000acres of land is under mehndi cultivation in Sojat city. Faridabad's loss has been Sojat's gain," says Ami Lal of Ami Lal Ram Krishan Das.

Erosion of leaf cultivation base has created a number of problems for Faridabad dealers. "One of the major problems is the time involved in bringing raw mehndi leaves from Sojat city to Faridabad. The transportation cost is also high," points out Mehndiwala.

A mehndi plant has an average life-span of 100 years. Mehndi cultivation is directly affected by climatic conditions. With adequate rains and suitable temperature conditions, one plant can give up to three quality crops in a year and one acre of land can give a yield of 16 quintals. Quality-wise, the Dussehra crop is considered the best. The other two crops are harvested around December and March-April.

"This year the yield has not been up to the expectations due to inadequate rains. This will affect business as it is harvested immediately after the rains," says AmiLal.

Notwithstanding problems, the going is good due to adequate demand in the domestic as well as the overseas market. According to Ami Lal, more than 50 per cent of the production is going abroad.

Ami Lal attributes the popularity of mehndi in India and abroad to its being "natural" and the growing inclination of people towards "beauty and fashion."

To cater to the growing demands, changes have occurred in the manufacturing process of mehndi. Earlier, stone grinders were used to convert mehndi leaves into powder which was a time-consuming process. But these days machines have taken the place of old grinders. "With stone grinders we could grind only 10 to 15 kg of leaves in one hour, but with machine grinders there is no limit to production," says Mehndiwala.

According to Mehndiwala, only quality can help one survive in the market. People who were supplying adulterated material are nowhere in the picture now.

However, some synthetic products are also available in the market.Another product which of late has found acceptance in the market and has become popular is black mehndi. This product has little mehndi content. However, some customers take it as a natural product similar to mehndi. "There are many people in Faridabad who are misusing the name mehndi by associating it with dye-based products, thus affecting the business of genuine mehndi dealers," feels Garg who exports mehndi to Turkey, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Vijay Parkash of Black Rose hair dye disagrees: "We mention very clearly on our product that it is a chemical-based hair dye. Para phenyl diamine, citric acid and barium paroxide are the main chemicals used in hair dyes."

To support the business, the state government waived the sales tax and other duties on mehndi in 1995. Now Rajasthan has also followed suit and many local dealers are planning to expand their business.

"The first thing I did after the sales tax waiver was apply for a license so that I could have a basein Sojat city. It will help me cater to the wider market," says Ami Lal.