Gulal

Gulal or abir is the traditional name given to the coloured powders used for some Hindu rituals, in particular for the Holi festival or Dol Purnima (though commonly associated with the red colour used in the festival). During Holi, which celebrates love and equality, people throw these powder solutions at each other while singing and dancing.

Legend

According to Hindu mythology, Radha was extremely fair and Lord Krishna had a dark complexion. Because of their different skin tones, Krishna often worried about whether Radha would accept him and complained to his mother Yashoda. Yashoda once jokingly suggested that Krishna paint Radha's face a different colour to hide any differences. Krishna did as his mother advised and used gulal to smear Radha's face. And that's how the celebration of Holi began.

Composition

From natural to chemical

In earlier times, Gulal powders were prepared from flowers coming from trees, such as the Indian coral tree and the flame of the forest, that had medicinal properties, beneficial to the skin. After the advent of synthetic dyes in the middle of 19th century, the disappearance of trees in urban areas and the pursuit of higher profits led to the abandonment of natural colours.

The new industrial dyes have been manufactured through chemical processes with non-standard parameters and hence the resulting colours are sometimes toxic for face and skin, causing problems such as eye irritation, allergies, skin infection and asthma.