It is really heartening to see that Mumbai is ready to celebrate Holi without wasting water. The state of Maharashtra may face a water shortage as the temperature may shoot up very high this year. The citizens decided to celebrate dry Holi with natural colours while making it an eco-friendly Holi. Water is really precious as Maharashtra as well as other countries are facing an extreme shortage of water.
Holi is the festival of colour and celebrated all over the country with much gaiety. However, Holi is no longer only fun. The celebration should ensure that there is no harm committed against women. The main cause of hooliganism, throwing harmful chemicals and balloons and molesting women in the guise of applying colour have slowed down during Holi. The festival-like Holi should bring people together and enforce harmony in the society.
It is an eye-opener and it prepares us to celebrate Rang de Holi in a simple and possibly way without causing harm to anyone. Holi is a festival of colours and both the young and the old enjoy playing colours at each other. But this time it was to apply caution and play safe Holi. Herbal colours are available in the market in plenty of shops instead of colours mixed with chemicals, which cause harm and irritation in the body. Colours contain heavy metal that can cause eye infection if applied dangerously near the eyes.
Colour paints especially black and red stick to the body and take more than a week to get out of the skin. Prevention is better than cure is correct. Water-based colours go into system easily and make Holi a health hazard. Water Balloons thrown inside the trains and moving vehicles can cause eye-sight loss and serious injuries. The black colour has lead oxide that is most harmful and it causes blindness, skin allergies, etc. It is better to have a safer Holi instead of risking life for a few hours of dangerous enjoyment.
During Holi, colour speaks the loudest as Holi is treated as the festival of colours. It is notable that this year’s Holi will be celebrated with pomp just like every other year but with caution. The eco-friendly colours were made of vegetable pigments. Yellow is extracted from marigold and turmeric, pink from beetroot, orange from annatto seeds and blue from indigo flowers. Thus, the need for making the colours with chemicals in the past is turned to using colours from vegetable pigments. Moreover, water is not wasted much as awareness about saving water campaign going rounds. Safe and enjoyable Holi sends the message that we are all following the guidelines and the announcements made in the past in the best way possible and celebrate festivities with much fervour.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
