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Go green this Holi
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Give your merry making an eco-friendly tinge by indulging in natural colours, writes DEEPSHIKHA MEHTA
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CHROMO THERAPY is happening. Colours as a means for alleviating a sad mood or a negative outlook in life are being hailed as dernier cri in psychotherapy. But who needs chromo therapy when we have Holi?
Colours used as powder or mixed in water, as a part of festivities is unique to our country. Holi, a one time psychotherapeutic pill, with quantity, range and play of colours that sees you through the year, is welcomed with exuberance all over the nation. While it stands for "party time" for the city slickers, celebrating the onset of springtime is the real raison d'etre for the festival of colours. Colour sprayed on faces, clothes looking like drenched unacceptable rags, hair in disarray are only justified by laughing eyes, gyrations to music and utter glee on the faces. This is Holi.
"It compliments the upbeat atmosphere," says Mohit, a Delhiite who moved into the twin cities with a BPO. "I love gulal," gushes Upasna, an employee with an international financial concern, who also loves to host Holi celebrations in her well kept lawns equipped with water hoses, buckets full of coloured water, bhang and pakodas. "Colours are the charm, the lynchpin of the festival,"says Sanjeev, a manager with a telecommunication firm.
"What I love about Holi," says Jyothi "is that you can slip into your old faded jeans, put oodles of oil into your hair and carry that look with abandon. Nobody cares."
Attitude correction
Where colours, togetherness, spirits and loud music seem to epitomize fun, these have sometimes turned into the perils of celebration. "The Holi colours that one picks up from the market are made from oxidized metals or industrial dyes that are loaded with harmful chemicals," says Dr Madhavi of Kaya skin clinic.
"These chemicals can cause allergic reactions like conjunctivitis, skin rash, sneezing and even blindness. Moreover they are also toxic to other life forms when they enter the ecosystem through soil and water." The powdered green that you get in the market is made from copper sulphate and could cause temporary blindness. Contrast this with colors that one can make from eco-friendly material available at home. These natural colours can be as vibrant, with palatable aromas and one doesn't mind a brush of chandan on one's face or henna powder dumped on one's hair. "All we need is an attitude correction and a heart for the living."
Making natural colours however requires effort which given the spirit of the festival should be fun in itself. "Children should be encouraged to make natural colours themselves," says Shalini a mother of 10-year-old twins.
"They should be taught in schools so that they know the importance of this activity." "It would be nice if one could get natural colours in the market," intones a lazy Jyothi.
Archana, a mother of two, feels that "it's when the couldn't care less attitude turns into social irresponsibility that the problem arises." Archana who prefers locking herself up in her room to avoid Holi insists that respecting other's wishes must be respected. While linking protocol to a festival like Holi borders on asperity, it would be circumspect to acknowledge the principle "enjoy yourself but avoid putting a damper on other's fun," that would mean being true to the spirit of Holi.
Do it yourself
Reds: Red Sandalwood Powder (Lalchandan) and dry red hibiscus flowers can be used. To increase the bulk of the powder you can add any flour to it, in proportion to the vibrancy of the colour you want to obtain. These yield both dry and wet colours.
Greens: Mehendi/henna powder or dry and finely powdered leaves of Gulmohur tree can render an amiable green. Crushing the tender leaves of the wheat plant can also give a natural safe green Holi colour .
Yellow: Mix haldi or turmeric powder with double the quantity of besan (gram flour) to get a lovely yellow colour that could also do wonders for your skin texture. Flowers like amaltas, marigold or Gainda, and yellow chrysanthemums yield different shades of yellow. Drying the petals of these flowers in the shade and crushing them will give a fine powder that can be mixed with besan or used separately. Drying and grinding the rind of the bael fruit will also produce a yellow coloured powder.
Magenta: Beetroot wins hands down. Slice, grate and soak beetroot in water for a wonderful magenta. Leaving it overnight will give a deeper shade. Boiling the peels of ten to fifteen onions in half litre of water will provide an orangish- pink colour. Remove the peels for avoiding the odour.
Saffron: The Flame of the Forest known as tesu, palash or dhak gives a lovely ethnic colour for Holi. The flowers soaked overnight or boiled give fragrant yellowish orange colored water. A pinch of sandalwood powder mixed in one litre of water will give an instant, fragrant saffron colour. Soaking a few stalks of saffron or kesar in water also works.
Blue: Jacaranda flowers can be dried in the shade and ground to obtain a beautiful blue powder. The blue Hibiscus, dried and powdered, is also a source of lovely blue. Crushed berries of the Indigo tree added to water yield a rich blue. Ý
D.M.
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