Jamshedpur markets set for Holi, eco-friendly colours in demand

Jamshedpur, March 13: The city is gearing up for yet another day of fun-filled excitement. Holi, the festival of colours, is just a few days away. The countdown has already begun.

People are preparing to turn red, blue and yellow with the festival of colours. City markets are witnessing enthusiastic crowds.

The Bistupur and Sakchi markets are the most sought after places to buy the colours. A number of people frequent these markets for the festival of the year and a dozen odd shops sell different variants of colours. It is also a choicest place for the children to buy toys that can store in some color water.

 “Every year I come to this market to buy a toy as the shops introduce some new toy every festival. The toys that earlier were limited to small toy guns, now come in varied shapes and sizes,” said Koyal Ghosh, a student of Sacred Heart Convent School.

The rising awareness about the ill effects of the synthetic colours have motivated people to opt for the natural colours or to say eco friendly colours to play and enjoy the festival of colours, Holi.

“The colours are made out of turmeric, rice flour and recycled flowers, and contain no artificial colours. Fillers or preservatives that are used have been lab tested for zero heavy metal content,” said a leading colour trader of Jugsalai.

Ranging from Rs 10 a packet to Rs 500 per kilogram, these natural colours may be a little heavy on the pocket as compared to the regular colours, but the difference is a small price to pay for a safe Holi.

“Regular colours can cost anything between Rs 300-500 per kilogram. However, as natural colours have a higher density, the buyer gets a higher amount for less,” he added.

A Sakchi-based shopkeeper adds that the shop owners are happy with the fact that with exams over in many schools, students are showing a lot of interest in playing Holi.

Witnessing children persuading their parents to buy colours is a common sight. “I am doing brisk business this time and am happy with the sale. People have been thronging his shop for the last few days. The sale so far has been good and is expected to rise,” said Jain.

Traders of the city who experimented with herbal holi colours last year doubled the orders this year but almost the entire stock has been sold out a week before the festival.

“Though, the sales of rose water are also at its peak and the products are very reasonably priced at Rs 50 for a herbal colour pouch and Rs 100 for a rose water bottle,” said Manoj, a trader.

Kajol Sen a BA student of Graduate School College for Women stated that I love playing with colours but cannot risk skin infection and burns which are so common with ordinary colours, so I bought the herbal colours for this holi for my entire family.

Most holi colours available in the market contain oxidised metals or industrial dyes mixed with engine oil, which are dangerous for the skin. The black colour, for instance, is made of lead-oxide, green from copper sulphate, silver from aluminium bromide and red from mercury sulphite.