With the arrival of the spring season that brings in hope, good harvest and colors in the surroundings with fresh blooms, it is time to celebrate the festival of colors – Holi. This is a popular festival in India that represents unabashed frolic, fun and enthusiasm and also symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Ideally, the festival is meant to celebrate the arrival of Spring, but today it has become a source of environmental pollution and degradation.

Since my childhood days, I have always awaited this festival as it was a great time to play with colors, be merry and gorge in some delicious Holi recipes like gujiya, dahi vada, thandai and etc. But today, I realize that how preparing for this great festival would cut down trees to make the fire and fill the grounds with plastic bags and the air with chemical colors.

This year, I promised to celebrate eco-friendly Holi and want to share some tips with my friends and readers and encourage them to celebrate it in the same way.

How to celebrate eco-friendly Holi?

Avoid using chemical colors and select natural colors:

Water balloons and brightly colored gulal, water guns and paints are the major items that make holi the festival of colors when the atmosphere too is filled with mischief and fun. But have you ever thought about the harmful effects of artificial colors? Cheap colors and other materials are openly sold in shops for the Holi festival and people purchase them without giving a second thought.  These artificial colors are full of chemicals and are highly toxic in nature. The harmful effects of holi colors often lead to various ailments like dermatitis, renal failure, allergy and even lead to skin cancer. So, avoid purchasing color containing chemicals like Lead Oxide, Aluminum Bromide, Mercury Sulphate.

Instead make natural colors using beet root juice, marigold petals, and spinach, mint or neem leaves for the green color. You can also use turmeric powder as your yellow color, which is good for skin. And remember to follow Holi safety tips for kids so as to keep their hair and skin protected from the harsh effects of colors.

Bonfire hazards:

There are various rituals associated with this holi festival and one of them is to burn Holika to her death. This bonfire requires a lot of wood, which is usually gathered by cutting trees and this causes serious damage to the environment. This ritual harms both the nature and the surroundings and so it is important to avoid these hazards. It is a good idea to make just one bonfire for large communities instead of burning many. This will reduce the consumption of wood and the smoke from the bonfire will also be less. Another very good idea to avoid cutting of trees is to use dry waste materials instead of large amounts of wood.

Save water and say no to balloons:

Many cities in India have water scarcity problems and wasting water during the celebration is not at all a good idea. The cool splash of water is really exciting and fun, but we should restrict the amount of its usage. Use water carefully and try to minimize its wastage. If possible, try to celebrate a dry holi and say no to pichkaris and water balloons. Try to find out unique ways to celebrate eco-friendly holi. Prepare exclusive holi recipes at home and initiate games to interact with the other members of the community.

Don’t throw colors on animals:

You may find it very amusing to throw colors on innocent animals, but this is not at all a good idea. Many kids put colors and water on stray animals thinking as if they are a part of the celebration, but it is important to advise them not to throw colors on animals as they cannot remove them and the harsh chemicals can cause serious harm to their bodies.

So, if you are really willing to make the festival of colors count, then spend the day by following the tips and playing eco-friendly holi with your friends and relatives.