As usual, it will be a splash of colours, when the city celebrates Holi on Sunday. But this time, it will be a riot of organic colours. Increasingly, the North Indians living in the city are going in for 'skin-friendly' vegetable colours to celebrate Holi.
"We have strictly told our people to use only vegetable-based natural colours to celebrate Holi. No chemical colours that stick to the skin and cause irritation will be allowed," says Arun Gokuldas, who is organising a Holi festival for Gujarati families in the city. Holi parties are being organised by Rajasthani, Gujarati and other north Indian communities.
However, the celebrations began to unfold on Saturday evening itself. As the evening skies turned crimson on Saturday, frisky children and women started spraying bright vermilion, saffron, pink and purple colours on each other in R S Puram, where most north Indians in the city live. The Rajasthanis in the city organised a bonfire at Nehru Vidyalalya school campus to celebrate Holika or choti holi, on the eve of Holi. A spring festival, Holi is celebrated in many parts of India to mark the death of Holika, the demoness sister of Prahalada, son of demon Hiranyakashipu in Hindu mythology.
The colours traditionally used in Holi celebrations tend to cause skin allergies. "Chemical colours cause dermatitis and sometimes severe skin allergies and irritation in the eyes too. People should use only easily washable vegetable dyes which are skin-friendly," says the Deputy Director of Health, Dr P Senthil Kumar. Indeed this time round, the revellers have got a wee bit more health-conscious. So, at the Flower market in R S Puram, people are making a bee line to the shops which sell 'vegetable colours'.
While chemical colours and water sprays cost `100 a kg, organic dyes are sold for `160 per kg. "People are celebrating Holi more sensibly now. We have already sold 60kg of organic colours," says Rajesh Shah of Sangam Stores . The easily washable' yellow, blue, pink and green colours seem to be the rage. "We have been selling Holi colours for the last 54 years. But now people prefer organic colours to chemical dyes," he says. But chemical dyes have not completely faded away. At a row of shops in Flower market, the flashy red, fluorescent green colours which are made of chemical dyes are being sold. "I have sold more than 100kg of chemical colours today," says D C Karthik at Range Gowder street.
"We have strictly told our people to use only vegetable-based natural colours to celebrate Holi. No chemical colours that stick to the skin and cause irritation will be allowed," says Arun Gokuldas, who is organising a Holi festival for Gujarati families in the city. Holi parties are being organised by Rajasthani, Gujarati and other north Indian communities.
However, the celebrations began to unfold on Saturday evening itself. As the evening skies turned crimson on Saturday, frisky children and women started spraying bright vermilion, saffron, pink and purple colours on each other in R S Puram, where most north Indians in the city live. The Rajasthanis in the city organised a bonfire at Nehru Vidyalalya school campus to celebrate Holika or choti holi, on the eve of Holi. A spring festival, Holi is celebrated in many parts of India to mark the death of Holika, the demoness sister of Prahalada, son of demon Hiranyakashipu in Hindu mythology.
The colours traditionally used in Holi celebrations tend to cause skin allergies. "Chemical colours cause dermatitis and sometimes severe skin allergies and irritation in the eyes too. People should use only easily washable vegetable dyes which are skin-friendly," says the Deputy Director of Health, Dr P Senthil Kumar. Indeed this time round, the revellers have got a wee bit more health-conscious. So, at the Flower market in R S Puram, people are making a bee line to the shops which sell 'vegetable colours'.
While chemical colours and water sprays cost `100 a kg, organic dyes are sold for `160 per kg. "People are celebrating Holi more sensibly now. We have already sold 60kg of organic colours," says Rajesh Shah of Sangam Stores . The easily washable' yellow, blue, pink and green colours seem to be the rage. "We have been selling Holi colours for the last 54 years. But now people prefer organic colours to chemical dyes," he says. But chemical dyes have not completely faded away. At a row of shops in Flower market, the flashy red, fluorescent green colours which are made of chemical dyes are being sold. "I have sold more than 100kg of chemical colours today," says D C Karthik at Range Gowder street.
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