March means the month of Phalgun. Falgun means Holi season. People all over the country eagerly wait for this festival of colors. But, many times the colors used on Holi damage our skin. These dyes are often made from harmful chemicals. Due to which skin irritation, unsightly scars and rash also come out. Therefore, for the celebration of Holi, we should use only organic colors.
Traditionally, colors of Holi were made using flowers and herbs that bloom in this season. Apart from being natural, these colors were also beneficial for the skin. However, nowadays, dyes are made using harmful chemicals to meet growing demands.
A safe and economical solution
Looking at the damage caused by chemical-rich dyes, many companies are now making organic dyes. These organic colors are skin-friendly. However, these products are often more expensive than non-organic dyes. Therefore, many people still choose harmful alternatives.
People living in Riviera Towers in Kandivali East, Mumbai were also facing some similar problems. In 2019, some people living here took an initiative to look for cheap alternatives.
Amulya Mangesh, who lives in the society, says, “Our society has about 260 houses. We cannot stop everyone from celebrating the festival, nor can we pressurize everyone to buy organic colors. Therefore, we discussed together and decided to follow the traditional method of color making, using dried flowers. ”
For the trial, some people started collecting flowers to be used to decorate their houses of worship. The flowers were varied according to colors and dried on the terrace. Then in a food blender, they were grinded and colored. Although these colors were not as bright as synthetic dyes, the people living in the society say that they were all satisfied with knowing that they are using safe colors that can be washed off easily.
In January 2020, some members of the Society took responsibility for collecting flowers from their homes and temples located in the Society’s premises. Sujata Kanan, who lives in the society, says, “There are three temples within the society. With the help of the priest, we were able to collect the garlands and the flowers offered in the temple. ”
The responsibility of the youth and children of the society was to separate these flowers and leaves according to the colors. Then they were thoroughly dried in the sun for a few days on the terrace.
“The dried flowers are ground into a food blender, powdered and placed in airtight containers,” says Sujata. Within two months, she says, they had enough colors for all 260 homes to celebrate Holi.
In view of the COVID-19 epidemic, it was decided to celebrate Holi in a simple manner. However, people and children living in society enjoyed making these organic colors. However, taking precaution, the Society canceled the celebration of Holi and instead organized a small puja, where they used these colors. Says Amulya, “This year, all celebrations have been banned in the Society but, some have created organic colors to celebrate, among some close members of their household. ”
If you, too, wish to celebrate Holi with organic colors without using harmful chemical dyes on your skin, then learn here how you can make organic colors at home:
Step 1: Collect dried flowers of different colors.
Step 2: Separate them according to color.
Step 3: Spread the petals evenly and allow them to dry in the sun for a few days.
Step 4: Grind dry petals and leaves using a food blender / mixer.
Step 5: Finally, store them in an airtight compartment.
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Story By: TheBetterIndia
