Siddipet panchayat officials bat for Holi with natural colours

The women made colours with modugu puvvu (Butea Monosperma), which is traditionally used by Telugu people in Holi celebrations, beetroot, carrot, watermelon, cabbage, mandara flower (Hibiscus) and various leafy vegetables.

Siddipet: To encourage people to celebrate Holi festival with natural colours, the district panchayat department is demonstrating the making of colours using flowers, vegetables and fruits such as watermelon across the 499 gram panchayats in the district on Thursday, a day ahead of the festival.

Since the colours made with various chemicals cause health issues after the festival, District Panchayat Officer (DPO) Devaki Devi directed all panchayat secretaries in the district to organise such demonstrations by engaging women in their villages. The women made colours with modugu puvvu (Butea Monosperma), which is traditionally used by Telugu people in Holi celebrations, beetroot, carrot, watermelon, cabbage, mandara flower (Hibiscus) and various leafy vegetables. They cooked these vegetables, flowers and fruits separately following certain guidelines. The photographs and videos of making the natural colours were posted in the village level WhatsApp groups to educate the public.

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Speaking to ‘Telangana Today”, Devaki Devi said they would consider even a slightest change in the people as a beginning of transformation. The DPO, who was known for coming up with various innovative environment friendly ideas in the district, said she came up with the idea after seeing many people suffering from skin infections and eye infections after celebrating the festival with colours made with chemicals. She said she always celebrated the festival with natural colours with her children and family members.