Happy Holi...........................!!!

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Rang Barse Bheege Chunar waali rang barse.......

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Hi All,

I have a two-day gap before my next exam so I thought I would just check in if there's a thread on Holi. Found none so I thought I'll pop in something.

We are all aware that the chemical Holi colours that most of us use can harm our health in diverse ways.

For your info, I am reproducing one of my writing assignments. The piece emphasizes the importance of organic colors.

By the way, what are you all going to do?

I will have a six day holiday for Holi followed by another exam (bleh!). But, surely, I am not going to miss all the fun. The school friends are all away and the college ones aren't that close enough so for me, this Holi, its going to be a family affair.

I'll jump into my TVS scooty pep and ramble about the town coloring all my relatives down to the last corner of the city.

Well, be quick, post away your plans promptly as I won't be around for a week or soand I am dying to read your stuff guys.

And yeahif you have funny experiences from the past Holis do squeeze it in here.

As promised ..
THE VEGETARIAN HOLISpring has just set in. Once again, it has brought on with it its mirade of colours, moods and odours. Holi, the festival that marks the onset of spring in India, is here again. However, unfortunately, the new age Hirankashyap in the avatar of chemical colours comes riding along too. It is not surprising to read post-Dhulendi news stories in newspapers that report people getting blind, ill or losing hair due to chemical colours.

HOW COLOURS HARM?
Investigations at various IITs and Toxicology research centers have revealed astonishing facts. As you are aware, the Holi colours are available in three forms. The watercolours that you love to splash at the passers by, Gulal or dry colours for tikas and the pastes. A Gulal is a combination of a colourant, usually a toxic, and a base that is either silica or asbestos. The health hazards these colours pose vary from simple skin chapping to a chronic disease like cancer. The colourant primarily consists of metals like lead, zinc, cadmium and chromium. The effects such toxics can cause are scarier than their names. Lead is associated with learning disability; chromium with bronchial asthma and cadmium causes several allergies.

It is the same story with pastes and watercolours. Did you know that the silver paste you often smear on your face for the snow-white look could cause cancer? Even little exposure to these toxins spells danger. The chemicals gradually get built up in the tissue. Watercolours, the favourite with kids, have been reported to cause skin discolouration, dermatitis and certain skin allergies.

THE WAY OUT
This short disclosure might have discouraged the holi enthusiasts. Well, recall Prahlad and the legend behind this colorful extravaganza. So, there's always a way out to deal with and conquer the evil! National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow has launched organic holi colours made from vegetable dyes. But, these colours are too expensive for the ordinary buyer. Now what? Not to worry. Where there's a will, there's a way. It is possible to prepare colours using vegetables and fruits.

PREPARING GULALS
# Red Gulal: Just pluck some red hibiscus flowers, shade-dry and powder them to the lovely red colour. You can even add flour to add to its bulk.
# Green Gulal: Shade-dry and powder the Gulmohar leaves for the 'ever green' colour.
# Yellow Gulal: Sunny yellow gulal is best made with dry marigold flowers. As usual, grind them to powder after shade drying.

PREPARING WATERCOLOURS
# Blood red: Lal chandan, a popular beauty cosmetic, can make for the blood red water colour. Add two teaspoonful of chandan to five liters of water and dilute further with twenty liters. As an alternative, you may even try tomato and carrot juices!
# Natural Green: Take spinach, mint leaves, coriander and grind them to paste. Simple!
# Royal Magenta: Chop one beetroot down to slices and soak overnight in a liter of water. When you wake up in the morning, your lovely magenta would be ready.
# Patriotic Saffron: If you are guessing this one requires saffron stalks, you are right. Saffron is expensive, yes, but this bright colour shall be the eye-catcher among the usual reds, yellows and greens. All you have got to do is soak some saffron stalks for 4-5 hours and grind them to paste. You may dilute it with more of water afterwards.

Some important tips for a safer holi
# It is recommended that you wear sunglasses on holi to ensure the eyes' protection as some of your friends might still use chemical colours.
o
# Before you step out and get wild with colours, don't forget to apply a coat of body oil or petroleum jelly. This glistens your skin and you can easily wash colours off your skin afterwards. Moreover, the oily layer acts as the protective sheath for the skin.
# It is very difficult to remove stains from teeth so you may consider putting dental caps.
# Try to keep off the temptation of donning new clothes. Choose the old and rugged ones for this occasion.
# Use lukewarm water to remove stains from your body.

End it

Copyright Spidergal2006. Very Happy

And for all our A2K mates who have been thinking what's Holi all about here are some links
The legends behind Holi

How India celebrates Holi?

Before I leave a lovely Holi song for you all.........

Syama Piya More Rangade Chunariya
a Holi Brjabhasa Bhajan
by Mira Bai

(refrain)

syama piya more rangade chunariya

(1)

aisi rangade ke ranga nahi chhute
dhobiya dhoye cahe yeh sari umaria

(2)

lal na rangaun mein hari na rangaun
apane hi ranga men rangade chunariya

(3)

bina rangaye mein to ghar nahi jaungi
bit hi jaye cahe yeh sari umariya

(4)

jal se patala kaun hai
kaun bhumi se bhari
kaun agana se tej hai
kaun kajala se kari

(5)

jala se patala jnana hai
aur papa bhumi se bhari
krodha agana se teja hai
aur ik kalana kajala se kari

(6)

mira ke prabhu giridhara nagara
prabhu charanana men
hari charanana men
syama charanana men lagi najaria

Once again.........a very happy Holi to you all.

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& happy Holi to you, spider! Very Happy

This is interesting!

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Thanks Ms Olga! Razz

Well, do the Indians over there in Oz hold Holi bashes?

They do so in UK an USA.

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They may do, spider, but not (to my knowledge, anyway) very publicly. I wish they would! It looked like great fun, when I was in India some years ago! Very Happy

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msolga wrote:

They may do, spider, but not (to my knowledge, anyway) very publicly. I wish they would! It looked like great fun, when I was in India some years ago!

Hey Olga!

I am dead curious to know about your experience in India....... Razz

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It was quite a while ago, spider, as part on one of those "tours" a small (pretty enlightened) Oz aid organization used to run, to educate their members about development projects in various countries, I wasn't actually a member, but they needed to make up numbers for the tour to be able to proceed, so ..... as I knew a couple of folk who ran the organization in Melbourne, off I went with them! It was amazing. I learned so much, became totally besotted with India & all things Indian & had a wonderful time! The whole group (about 20) would meet up in places like Hyderabad, Calcutta, Poona, Bombay (Mumbai sp?. Please feel free to give these places their correct names, spider. I'm in something of a time warp, I'm afraid!) & meet locals involved in the programs, attend lectures, etc .... then we'd set off by train, or rattly buses to far-flung places to visit little village projects in really remote areas. We managed to get some "free time" to explore for ourselves & wander about in between those quite serious lectures, tutorials & site visits. We didn't actually get to the most famous tourist havens, but hey, it was just fascinating going to places where tourists hardly ever go. I've never forgotten the experience.

I think it was in Poona that we awoke one morning, looked out our hotel windows ... & discovered Holi celebrations in full swing! What a riot of colour & music & activity! Very Happy

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Wow!

So, you really had lots of fun,Olga. Looks like you did not participate in the actual Holi playing. Anyways, when are you coming next?

Whenever it is,make sure its around Holi. And I'll play your host (if you like Smile

) and we'll have a blast!

And just wonder how are you going to appear,Olga!

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Right, then, spider!

So we're going to throw all this coloured powder at each other, then?

Gotcha! Laughing

I wonder if we could persuade the prince to join in the fun.? And vinsan. Where are they, anyway?
Party poopers!

And what about other A2K folk?
Come on, join in the fun! Very Happy

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Quote:

So we're going to throw all this coloured powder at each other, then?

Yeah....the spider and the cat will put on their beastly side and............ :wink:

Vinsan,Prince,Sakhi,Heatwave........where are the Hindustanis?

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When am I coming back to India?
Tomorrow!
Oh I wish! Sad

So I have to make do with Vikram Seth & heaps of others writing about India. Better second-hand Indian experience than none at all!

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spidergal wrote:

Vinsan,Prince,Sakhi,Heatwave........where are the Hindustanis?

Yeah!

We're waiting, with our little bags of dyes, you guys!

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What a scene, what a holiday! Amazing...

So one day Kicky was in India for Holi. The women came racing at him with sticks and he knew if he was captured they could beat him, undress him and force him to wear a sari and dance before them.

He watched as they came down the street throwing colored powders in the springtime air.

He did not run.

Joe(hey, he's living his dream)Nation

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Joe Nation wrote:

What a scene, what a holiday! Amazing...

So one day Kicky was in India for Holi. The women came racing at him with sticks and he knew if he was captured they could beat him, undress him and force him to wear a sari and dance before them.

He watched as they came down the street throwing colored powders in the springtime air.

He did not run.

Joe(hey, he's living his dream)Nation

Oh......Dancing!! Thats going to add to the fun.

Lets dance,Olga,Joe......the three of us

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Got my dancing shoes on, spider!

Woo Hoo!

This is fun!

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Shoes......you don't need them, just see me and Joe are shoeless!!

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... just kicked my dancing shoes off!

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Where are the East Indians, spidergal? Listening to Toni Braxton, I believe.<smile>

Loved India Bizarre stuff. Bought lots of it when I went to UVA. What do you call that top the lovely girl is wearing? A Kirka?(sp)

What a delightful festival.

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Whirling Whirling Whirling Whirling Whirling

Earth's~~ energies ~~emerge~~ in song... ~~~~.

Whirling Whirling Whirling Whirling Whirling

We~~are~~swept~~up~~by~~the~~winds~~of ~~spring.

Whirling Whirling Whirling Whirling Whirling

No one ~~knows~~where~~the~~dance~~will~~end...

Whirling Whirling Whirling Whirling Whirling

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whirl away, Joe:

http://starophileimages.free.fr/wallpapers/toni_braxton_002.jpg

UhOh. I may stretch the screen. Hope that's okay.

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Happy Holi...........................!!!

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