Color Me Good!

The onset of spring is a nostalgic and exhilarating time in every Indian household. It’s a time when the aroma and flavors of delicacies fill every home, when there’s a light and mischievous warmth in the air and children and adults alike play with a variety of colors with their friends, family and neighbors. It’s a time when there are simply no barriers to celebrate and when communities unite as one to celebrate the victory of good over evil. We are talking about the festival of colors and love or Holi.

Holi signifies the end of winter, the arrival of spring and harvest time and comes on a full moon day in the Indian month of Phalgun. It is celebrated not just in India but also in several other countries including Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Pakistan. Holi may have different names in different countries but the celebrations are alike everywhere.

The preparation for Holi begins a month in advance by planting Holika or a castor oil plant. This plant is burnt at the end of this period as a symbol of good over evil. The celebrations includes a hearty feast, music played on just 2 instruments – Dholak (hand drum) and Manjeera (percussion instrument), dancing, singing a special type of folk song called Chowtal, and most importantly spraying Abeer or colored powder and colored water on each other.

The quantities of color used are enormous across countries. But the big question is how many people are actually reading the labels on each colour packet purchased. As they say, the devil quite literally lies in the details. Most of the colors available in the market are synthetic colors made with chemicals and industrial dyes that are hazardous for the skin, eyes and hair. They can lead to alopecia, skin and eye irritation, corneal abrasions and conjunctivitis, allergies, kidney problems etc.

So how do you avoid these dangerous colors? Simple. By switching to organic colors made from natural plants and vegetables. These colors maybe a tad expensive but are worth your while because they are harmless and body friendly. For instance, organic yellow color made of turmeric powder is great for your skin and is used in several Ayurvedic products. Blue or extracts of the indigo plant is used as organic color in organic clothes etc.

So this Holi, use Organic colors that are bursting with natural bounty to bring your loved ones together.

STAY SAFE, SPREAD LOVE!