Celebrating an eco-friendly Holi

Dr Dharmakanta Kumbhakar

(The writer can be reached at drkdharmakanta@yahoo.com)

Holi is considered one of the major festivals in India. It is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety on the last full moon day in the month of Falgun, according to the Hindu calendar, and the month of March (this year, Holi will be celebrated tomorrow and the day after) as per the Gregorian calendar. As the festival celebrates the arrival of spring in Falgun, it is also known as Falgunika. People celebrate the changing season and the beauty associated with spring blossoms by spraying colours. The colours used in the joyous festival of Holi get reflected in the various hues of the spring season. The colourful festival also celebrates the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. Lord Krishna is associated with Holi as the Lord played Holi applying colours on his beloved Radha and other gopies during Phalguna Purnima (Dol Purnima). According to Hindu mythology, the festival celebrates the killing of Holika, the sister of Hrinyakashyap. Moreover, in Holi, there is the ritual of offering roasted grain to Agni, the fire deity, known as 'Navaanineshti'. In Sanskrit, roasted grain is called 'Holaakaa', from which the name of the festival 'Holi' is derived.

Holi is the festival of colours symbolizing signs of happiness, joy, love, peace and brotherhood engaging all ages of people, celebrated primarily in India. The festival has drawn world attention now and many countries have started celebrating Holi these days. Holi celebrations in India cut across sections and religious convictions. The celebration diminishes all boundaries of religion and caste. It may be celebrated by different names among the people of various states with different rituals and traditions, but the spirit and enthusiasm of the festival remain the same throughout the country which makes Holi unique and special in India. It is one of the most colourful and vibrant festivals in India. But unfortunately in modern times, Holi doesn't stand for all beautiful things. Like other festivals, Holi has also become ruthlessly commercialized and a source of environmental degradation.

One of the major environmental concerns in the Holi celebration is the use of toxic chemical colours. In earlier times, when Holi celebrations were not so much commercialized, Holi colours were traditionally made from herbs and spring flowers; in fact, such colours had some therapeutic value. However, chemicals and industrial dyes, some of them toxic, slowly replaced flowers and herbs.

Every year we hear news of children and adults being admitted to the hospital after Holi because of the harmful health effects of used chemical colours. Cases with hair damage, skin dryness, discolouration, rashes, irritation, itching, dermatitis and allergies tend to double post-Holi celebrations. There was even a reported death in 2012 because of colour poisoning. The synthetic Holi colours nowadays available in the market as pastes, dry colours and wet colours may contain many toxic chemicals that can have severe health effects. The dry colours, commonly known as gulal, have two components- a colourant and a base which could be either asbestos or silica, both of which cause health problems. Heavy metals contained in the colourants can cause asthma, skin diseases and eye problems. Lead oxide in black colour may cause renal failure and decrease the learning capacity of a person. Purple colour includes chromium iodide which causes bronchial asthma and allergy. Silver powder includes aluminium bromide which may cause cancer, while red colour has mercury sulphite that causes skin cancer. If the copper sulphate that is present in green colour comes in contact with the eyes then it may cause allergy in the eyes and blindness. Prussian blue present in blue colour may cause contact dermatitis. Wet colours, mostly use gentian violet as a colour concentrate which can cause skin discolouration and dermatitis.

When the problems caused by chemical colours have become so widespread, opting for herbal colours is slowly becoming a necessity. Instead of using chemical colours in Holi, we should use home-made eco-friendly herbal colours. Herbal colours can be made at home using natural colouring materials such as pomegranate peels, properly powdered dried fruits and vegetables, red sandalwood powder shoe flower extract, alma, saffron, henna powder, talcum powder, turmeric powder, ginger root powder, cinnamon powder, besan, Katha, etc. If we opt to purchase colours commercially, the colours should be naturally made herbal colours by reputed companies. The herbal colours are safe and easily washable. Most of these colours come off easily with a few washes and there is almost no need for soaps, detergents, kerosene or extra water. The herbal colours don't cause any harm to the skin, eyes and hair because they are devoid of harmful chemicals like lead, oxides, benzenes, etc. Moreover, herbal colours are environment-friendly, as they do not magnify the alarming levels of air and water pollution. As herbal colours are not harmful to the environment, using herbal colours is a small step toward becoming more environmentally responsible. By encouraging the use of such safe, natural colours in Holi, people all over India can help in protecting our environment from polluting further and thus help in the conservation of our biodiversity.

Another major environmental concern in the Holi celebration is the wasteful use of water during Holi. In the current situation, when most cities in India are facing an acute water crisis, the wasteful use of water during Holi is extreme. It is common for people to douse each other with buckets of water during Holi, and children often resort to throwing water balloons at each other. If individual wastes more than 10 litres of water per Holi, just imagine the number of litres of water wasted in Holi across India with a billion-plus population. We should keep in mind that we are not only wasting water resource but also polluting it with harmful and toxic chemicals. We must respect our natural resources and avoid wasting and polluting water unnecessarily which is most needed for our coming generations. We should celebrate dry Holi. The idea of a dry Holi seems alien at first, especially as the climate becomes warmer around Holi, and water provides relief from the heat. However, considering the current scenario of global acute water shortage, it seems wasteful to use so much water simply for a celebration.

Keeping into consideration the harmful effects of chemical colours on public health and the environment, and water wastage; there is a need for mass awareness for celebrating a chemical-free and water-preserving eco-friendly Holi. NGOs and media should create awareness for celebrating an eco-friendly Holi.