Dehradun, March 1 A Woman Self-Help (SHG) group in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag is under the spotlight over production of herbal colours for the Holi festival -- an organic choice they made some time ago and found subsequent connect and support from the locals, in their own village and adjoining regions.
The herbal colours i.e. chemical-free colours, are in high demand in the market, and SHGs are now faced with resurgent demands.
This has given impetus to their businesses and also spurred new jobs generation.
Many women are getting employment here under the programme, while this has also brought a paradigm shift in the way people celebrate the festival of colours.
Women from Rudraprayag's Jawadi, Kumoli, Maikoti, Medanpur, and Ukhimath villages are engaged in making herbal dyes here.
Sangita Kapravan, a member of SHG, said, "We have created herbal dyes. These are all natural ingredients and are priced at Rs 25 per packet."
She added that people avoid using chemical dyes due to fear of skin damage.
"People should buy these herbal dyes, as they have no negative effects."
Monica Kapravan, another SHG member, said, "We have made organic dyes at home."
She added that these colours are in high demand in the market.
She said that these colours are chemical-free, adding that they have prepared the colours from homegrown flowers and other materials.
It should be noted that the National Rural Livelihood Mission and the Rural Training Institute trained women in making natural colours.
Following this, women have now begun producing these colours in the villages.
They are making green colours from spinach, yellow from turmeric, pink and red from beetroot, and saffron from marigold flowers.
These colours are being made to convey the message of avoiding the use of chemical colours.
The Director and Trainer of the Rural Self-Employment Institute said that the sale of these colours during the upcoming Holi festival will strengthen women's livelihoods.
They also appealed to the people of the district to use indigenous and natural colours.
Bhupendra Rawat, Trainer at the Rural Self-Employment Training Institute, said that in recent years, they have been provided training in making herbal colours, and village women are producing them.
He added: "Herbal colours are in high demand during festivals. People don't want to use chemicals. Herbal dyes are being sold through various stalls this time as well."
Anoop Kumar, Director of the Rural Self-Employment Training Institute, said, "I want to inform everyone that the institute provides training in various self-employment areas. Special products are manufactured for festivals."
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor