Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renews sweet relationships. <br/><br/>Numerous legends & stories associated with Holi celebration makes the festival more exuberant and vivid. Originally, only natural and herbal colors were used for Holi. The powder was known as 'gulal', the natural colored talc as 'abir' and colored water as 'rang'. <br/><br/>Till the 1950s, families used to prepare their own colours from the dried flowers in the form of powders ‘gulal’ and boiled them to get concentrated, deep wet colours. <br/><br/>Red, green and pink from flowers like palash (Flame of the forest), marigold, hibiscus, rose and other organic derivatives. These colours were good for the skin and did not harm the human body and had therapeutic value. The colours used in holi festival represent some values / emotions in our life like ‘.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Green: – The green colour represents compassion, purity and harmony..<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Magenta Blue: – Magenta is the color of change, Blue enforces peace and faith.<br/><br/>Red: – Red is the color of festivity, vibrancy, energy and love.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Saffron: – Saffron and orange colors are often associated with festivity, happiness, joyousness and optimism.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Yellow: – Yellow denotes energy, intellect and awakening of new blooms in the spring season. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>But now a days, a visit to a doctor after the festival of colours is common in India. Diseases, specially of the skin and eye are bound to happen with the quality of colours that are now available in the market.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>These days most Holi colours sold in the market are oxidized metals or industrial dyes mixed with engine oil. These chemicals are known to cause serious harm to persons health.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Bad effects of some colours used on Holi:<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Green colour is obtained from copper sulphate -which may cause allergies in eye or even temporary blindness.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Purple is obtained from chromium iodide – which may cause bronchial asthma or other forms of allergy.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Silver is obtained from aluminum bromide – a known carcinogenic.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Black is obtained from lead oxide – may cause renal failures or learning disability.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Red is obtained from mercury sulphite – may cause skin cancer or Minamata disease (mental retardation, paralysis, impaired vision…)<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Shiny Colours are a result of powdered glass being added to the colours.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Besides, many water colours have an alkaline base capable of causing severe injuries. Colours in the form of pastes have toxic compounds mixed in a base of engine oil or other inferior quality oil, capable of causing skin allergy, temporary blindness.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>It is advisable to make your own herbal colours:<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Mix a spoon of powdered haldi in a cup of flour (atta / besan / maida), talcum powder for dry yellow colour, which is also great for your skin. Haldi powder can also be mixed in water to make a wet colour.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Use henna / mehandi powder, separately or mixed with flour (as above).<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Chopped pieces of Beetroot soaked in water for a few hours give a wonderful magenta colour.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Put tea or coffee in warm water. Let it cool and use.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Put flowers of Semul / Tesu or Palas / Dhak (trees which are common in India and bloom during March) in water and boil. Leave overnight to obtain a saffron colour.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>’ Mix lime with haldi powder to get a deep red colour<br/>