The Henna Artist Characters

Lakshmi Shastri, the brilliant henna artist of the title, is the novel’s protagonist. Lakshmi was born to her maa and pitaji in the large city of Lucknow, though eventually her father’s political advocacy caused the… read analysis of Lakshmi Shastri

Radha is Lakshmi’s 13-year-old sister, born just a few months after Lakshmi made her escape from Ajar. Having been raised in poverty and the aftermath of her sister’s abandonment, Radha (called the “Bad Luck… read analysis of Radha

Malik is Lakshmi’s long-time servant and henna assistant; later, he becomes a close friend to Radha and a favorite of maharani Indira. Malik is the least privileged character in the novel: Lakshmi found… read analysis of Malik

Hari Shastri is the man Lakshmi married, against her will, at 15; two years later, unable to bear his verbal and physical abuse any longer, Lakshmi abandoned Hari. When the novel first introduces Hari, he… read analysis of Hari Shastri

Parvati Singh is a prominent Rajput woman, with connections to everyone from the maharani Indira (a distant cousin) to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. She is Samir’s husband and Ravi’s mother, and she is… read analysis of Parvati Singh

Samir Singh, husband to Parvati and father to Ravi, is one of the most prominent and wealthy architects in Jaipur. He is also the person who introduced Lakshmi to Jaipur society; the two met… read analysis of Samir Singh

Ravi Singh is the eldest son of Parvati and Samir Singh. Ravi is handsome and athletic, a skilled actor and polo player, and he possesses both the charm and the wealth needed to make… read analysis of Ravi Singh

At 26 years old, Kanta Agarwal is Lakshmi’s youngest henna client—and her favorite. Unlike the older ladies of Jaipur, Kanta treats Lakshmi “almost as an equal”; as Lakshmi successfully helps Kanta conceive a baby… read analysis of Kanta Agarwal

Manu Agarwal is Kanta’s husband and the Director of Facilities for the maharaja of Jaipur. Though his mother (Kanta’s saas) is one of the more traditional characters in the novel, Manu is… read analysis of Manu Agarwal

The elder maharani (queen) Indira is the wife of the late Madho Singh, a real-life maharaja (king) of Jaipur who ruled from 1880 to 1922. Madho Singh, working from the advice of an astrologer, refused… read analysis of Maharani Indira  

When Lakshmi is first hired to do henna for the maharani (queen) Latika, it is because Latika is so depressed; fearing a coup, her husband has sent away her 8-year-old son to England, and Latika… read analysis of Maharani Latika

As a young, beautiful, wealthy Brahmin, Sheela Sharma is the toast of Jaipur society. Though Lakshmi arranges Sheela’s marriage to Ravi Singh, privately, she dislikes Sheela; she recalls “the ugly twist of Sheela’s… read analysis of Sheela Sharma

Mrs. Sharma is one of Lakshmi’s henna clients; she is Sheela’s mother and a friend (and future in-law) of Parvati Singh. As a Brahmin and one of the wealthiest women in Jaipur… read analysis of Mrs. Sharma  

Mrs. Patel is one of Lakshmi’s oldest henna clients; whereas most of Lakshmi’s “ladies” want to enchant their partners or increase their fertility, Mrs. Patel just wants help with the arthritis in her hands… read analysis of Mrs. Patel

Mrs. Joyce Harris is a white Englishwoman (Angrezi) in Samir’s social circle. When Mrs. Harris has an affair with an Indian man at the exclusive polo club, she is panicked to learn… read analysis of Joyce Harris  

Samir Singh prefers to have affairs with older widows, and Geeta is his current mistress. Geeta lives in a well-appointed house in the ex-patriot area of Jaipur, and she inadvertently becomes the host of Lakshmi… read analysis of Geeta

Lakshmi’s maa (mother) is a complicated figure, simultaneously attuned to her daughters’ needs and raised “not to defy, question, or contradict” the patriarchal systems and traditions of her ancestors. Despite Lakshmi’s fears, Maa insists… read analysis of Lakshmi’s Maa

Lakshmi’s pitaji (father) is a schoolteacher in Ajar. In his youth, Pitaji was a passionate advocate for India’s independence, selling his wife’s gold jewelry to fund the movement (and thus “put[ting] politics over family”). But… read analysis of Lakshmi’s Pitaji

The best thing about Lakshmi’s marriage to Hari Shastri is her new mother-in-law, or saas. Where Hari is verbally and physically abusive, Lakshmi’s saas is the opposite: she is a skilled healer, treating… read analysis of Lakshmi’s saas

Munchi (whom Lakshmi and Radha often call Munchi-ji) is an elderly man in Ajar, the small town the sisters were raised in. Munchi is a mentor to both young women: he teaches Lakshmi… read analysis of Munchi

Naraya is the builder of Lakshmi’s new Rajnagar house, and one of the novel’s secondary antagonists. The novel frequently depicts Naraya as unmannered and cruel (as his sister Lala puts it, “a harder man… read analysis of Naraya

Lala is a longtime servant of Parvati Singh’s, and a friend of Lakshmi’s; the two women bond about their lives spent serving Jaipur’s most elite ladies. When Lala’s niece has sex with Ravi… read analysis of Lala

Lala’s niece was a servant girl in the Singh household until Ravi Singh impregnated her, leading to her dismissal. Her father Naraya arranges for her to marry another man, but Naraya keeps the pregnancy a… read analysis of Lala’s Niece

Mr. Pandey is Lakshmi’s neighbor in Mrs. Iyengar’s building. He is also a music teacher for many of the most prominent girls in Jaipur, including Sheela Sharma. Mr. Pandey is charming, soft… read analysis of Mr. Pandey

Kanta’s saas, or mother-in-law, is one of the most traditional characters in the novel. Though her son Manu has chosen a more modern life, even entering into a love marriage (as opposed to an… read analysis of Kanta’s Saas

Hazi is a Muslim dancer, henna artist, and courtesan (high-class escort). She and Nasreen take Lakshmi in when she arrives in Agra. Over the course of their friendship, Hazi entertains Lakshmi with her stories of… read analysis of Hazi