How can we be Eco-friendly on the day of Holi?

In India, the festival of Holi is a time for merry-making. It is celebrated in the end of February or March (as per the lunar calendar). The climate is pleasant all over the country (India) during this time of the year. Even the nature is blessed with bounty of colors. In this favorable ambience Holi brings happiness to one and all. The message of brotherhood is spread all over the country.

Use of colors in Holi: India is a country of variety. However, there is unity amongst diversity. Though different regions of the country celebrate Holi in unique ways- there are certain common elements. Colors are used all over the country in either dry or liquid forms. People smear or splash colors on each other to bring out the best of the festival. But did you ever hear from any of your near and dear one that these colors may contain harmful chemicals. At times, the media cautions the users of the negative effects of the colors of joy.

In the bygone eras colors made with natural ingredients were used. But now-a-days this festival, like any other festival has been commercialized by many business minded individuals. It is inevitable that the colors used (and even the sweets and savories) include a lot of artificial ingredients harmful for us. Well, the colors of Holi may make you happy but may harm your skin or other parts of body. Now, you surely do not want this to happen to you or anybody you love. Do you? Let us delve into the depth of this matter and see what we can do to remove the evil of the usage of these colors, and yet not spoil the fun of the festival by a bit.

In the current times people buy colors from small time traders on road side. So, you can very well imagine the contamination in these colors. Sometimes these boxes cleverly conceal the view of the warning ‘for industrial use only’ to hoodwink the buyers.

The chemicals which (in general) are used to manufacture the colors and their negative effects: The color Black consists of Lead Oxide and may lead to Renal Failure. The Green color has Copper Sulphate and may result in Eye Allergy, temporary Blindness and puffiness of eyes. Silver color consists of Aluminium Bromide and may lead to Carcinogenic problems. The color Blue may lead to Dermitis. Red color has Mercury Sulphate and is highly toxic. It may lead to Skin Cancer. Gulal (or dry colors) may lead to health problems because it consists of Asbestos and Silica. The heavy metal in this mixture may lead to Skin Diseases or Asthma. The wet colors comprise of Gentian Violet and may cause Skin Discoloration and Dermitis.

How to prepare natural colors? You can use kitchen ingredients to prepare the colors. For getting yellow color you can mix turmeric (haldi) powder and chick pea (besan) flour. Another process of getting the yellow color is by boiling Marigold flowers in water. You can get yellow liquid color by soaking peels of Pomegranate (or Anar) overnight. You can get deep pink color by soaking beetroot in water. The henna leaves which we use to color our hands, feet or hair can be used to produce reddish orange color.

What if you cannot prepare your own natural colors? Well, you may not have the time or patience to prepare your own colors to use in Holi. Do not worry- there are options of buying these natural colors from several environmental groups. These are promoted by many organizations with a view for benefiting mankind as well as nature. You will be informed regarding the source of the colors to give you confidence to use them (and pay a bit more price).

Ventures to aid the preparation and use of natural colors: Navdanya (Delhi) has published a book and spoke of biodiversity which is the source of natural colors in a book named ‘Abir Gulal’. Delhi based Development Alternatives and Pune based Kalpavriksh has created educational tools for teaching children how to make their Holi colors using natural ingredients. Then there was CLEAN India campaign involving children. In this campaign the younglings learnt how to use natural items and produce beautiful colors.

The Holi Bonfire: It has been scientifically proved that the fuel burning during the ‘Holika Dahan’ process creates imbalance in the environment. Tons of wood are wasted in this way causing harm to the natural resources. The numbers of bonfires are also innumerable. This is of course a matter of concern. The smoke given out of these bonfires are very harmful for the animals and plants. Social groups like Sadvichar Parivar are encouraging the usage of community bonfire instead of bonfires in every nook and corners of the streets. Some other groups are motivating people to use waste material instead of wood.

Can we reduce the waste of water during Holi? Presently our planet is facing severe crisis of water. This water shortage is leading us to ponder about the future generations of the planet. Not only human beings but also the plants require water for survival. Buckets of (colored) water are thrown at each other during Holi. The colors of Holi are mixed using water. This is leading to severe shortage of water in some urban areas. Many people have to survive without supply of water for many days. Considering all these problems- it is advisable that we play a dry Holi using natural colors. It maybe initially difficult to accept the change but considering the long-term rewards we surely can try out this avenue to save water.

Let’s Celebrate an Environment Friendly Holi This Year!

Happy days are back again! Time has come when you can again yowl and scream your heart out and say ‘Holi Hai’ with complete sanction. It’s the time when you are allowed to play pranks on your relatives and buddies and for a change, also on your enemies. This year, Holi is all set to roll in on 20^th March, 2011. A festival popular for bringing out the very best of the Indians, Holi is one of the fun-filled festivals in India. So what are you waiting for? Fill in the water guns, join your friends and family and get going! Touch ‘Hearts’ lovingly and bring a smile on every face that you come to meet!

Apart from the joviality, joy and excitement, the festival of Holi also commemorates the season of spring in India. Holi is celebrated during the full moon, in the Phalgun month that corresponds with the month of February end or the beginning of March as per the Gregorian calendar. The festival also glorifies the harvest season. The festivals of colors, also known as ‘Vasant Mahotsava’ or ‘Kama Mahotsava’, is one occasion that brings with it immense joy, play, fun, music, mirth, dance and definitely bright, beautiful colors!

History of Holi

Originally called ‘Holika, Holi happens to be an ancient festival celebrated in India. The festival finds detailed mentions in the ancient religious works of Jaimini like Purvamimamsa-Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras. It is believed by the Historians that the Aryans also celebrated mostly in the Eastern region of India.

It is believed that Holi was celebrated even before Christ was born, though over the years, the festival of Holi has assumed a different meaning. In the ancient times, the festival was observed by the married women who prayed for the well-being of their husbands and families. On this day, Raka, the full moon was also observed. Apart from finding mentions in the Ouranas and the Vedas like the Bhavishya Purana and the Narad Purana, mentions of Holi can be found in stone inscriptions, sculptures, temples and rocks.

Legends related to Holi

In different parts of India, different legends are associated with the festival of colors. In Orissa and Bengal, Holi Purnima is observed as the birthday of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The popular and most prominent legend related to Holi, is that of the demon king Hiranyakashyap.

Hiranyakashyap wanted that every one in his kingdom should worship him. His son Prahlad, however, became a devotee of Lord Narayana.  Hiranyakashyap therefore ordered Holika to take Prahlad in her lap and enter the fire. Holika whop had got a boon that fire wont cause any damage to her, was not aware of the fact that the boon worked only when Holika enetered the fire all alone. So when Holika entered the fire with Prahlad, she got burnt for her sins while Prahlad was saved by God because of his devotion. The festival of Holi thus, celebrates the triumph of the good over the evil.

The Legend of Lord Krishna is also linked to Holi where Krishna played with Radha and the Gopis, along with colors, which later on became a tradition. Some of the other legends associated with this festival are that of the legend of Shiva and Kaamadeva, Ogress Dhundhi and Pootana. The common factor underlying each of the legends is the fact that each legend depicted the victory of the good over the evil.

Rituals associated with Holi

People on this day gather wood and other materials for the bonfire, popularly known as the ‘Holika’. The eve of Holi sees the taking place of Holika Dahan. Effigy of Holika, the sinful sister of the demon King Hiranyakashyap is positioned in the wood and then burnt. This ritual symbolizes the triumph of the good over the evil and of course the victory of a true devotee. People take residue from the bonfire in order to rekindle the domestic fires in their houses. On the day of Holi, several celebrations fill the air. On this day, known as Dhuleti, from children to adults, everyone engages in playing with colors. The ritual of playing with colors is more rampant in the Northern part of India. In regions like Vrindavan and Mathura, the Holi celebrations are unmatched for! In the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat also Holi is celebrated with immense enthusiasm and happiness. In Bengal it is celebrated in one of the dignified ways. At the Vishwa Bharti University, Holi is celebrated as the ‘Basant Utsav’ or the ‘Spring Festival’. While the campus is decorated with beautiful rangolis, the students engage in merry making amidst the songs of Rabindranath Tagore. In other regions of the state of Bengal, Holi is observed as Dol Yatra whereby idols of Krishna and Radha are worshipped.

For the Sikhs, Holi is the festival of displaying their military prowess and physical strength. In the north east of India, the Manipuris celebrate Holi in a very colourful manner for about 6 continuous days. The Manipuri dance, ‘Thabal Chongba’, serves as the highlight of the festival.

People on the occasion of Holi, take great delight in spraying water colors on others. Singing and tapping the foot to the popular wood Holi numbers is a common practice. Various types of delicacies such as mathri, malpuas, gujiya etc are made while people are seen relishing these with utmost people.

One of the most interesting features on this occasion is the traditional practice of having a drink called thandai along with bhang. The drink surely enhances the spirit of the festival.

While people throw gulal and abeer on this day the atmosphere takes on a colorful look. The chants of “Holi hai” fill in your ear and mind! The festival brings the gloomy winter to an end and marks the beginning of the blooming Spring.

Let’s Celebrate an Environment Friendly Holi

Preferably, the cheerful festival of Holi is intended to celebrate the coming of the Spring whereas the colors that are used for playing Holi are supposed to reflect the many hues of the spring season. However, unfortunately, in the present time the festival of Holi like many other festivals is yet another major source for environmental pollution and degradation. To de-pollute the environment and make the festival of Holi sync with the nature, many environmental and social organizations are coming up with several natural ways for the celebration of Holi. We as individuals should therefore also involve in celebrating an environment friendly Holi, this year. We can make our own colors or buy the natural colors available. We can also go for playing a dry Holi, just with abeer and gulal in the present scenario, where there are acute water problems in almost every corner of India. It is indeed a relief to notice that these days people are becoming more aware about the environment and therefore adopting less wasteful means of celebrating Holi.

Significance of Holi

Holi in India goes beyond the barriers of creed, caste, and religion to paint down the entire atmosphere with vibrant and colorful faces. There are several aspects associated with the festival of Holi that makes it hold a very significant place in our lives. Ranging from religious to socio-cultural significance, we have every reason to celebrate and cherish the festival of Holi.

The festival brings us very close to our mythology and religion, since it is the celebration of the many legends associoated with itHoli gets us close to our religion and our mythology as it is essentially the celebration of various legends associated with the festival. The celebration of these legends makes the people aware of the fact that no matter what, the ultimate victory remains with the good and not the evil. So people should always follow the path of good and the truth.  This is extremely significant these days for it refrain people from taking up the evil path. Holi also brings in the society and its people together, thereby strengthening India’s secular fabric. The best part of this festival is that, on this day you could turn even your enemies to your friends. The spirit of brotherhood and bonhomie prevails everywhere, on this day. People gather with their friends and family, exchange gifts, take delight in sweets and other delicacies and thus strengthen the bonds of emotions and revitalize their relationships.