Holi powders are made of many natural materials like rice powder and corn starch. A number of food dye are added to get desirable colours. Corn starch is poured into a bowl of water and get it stirred. After a few minutes of stirring, add food colourant like red, yellow and blue and stir again. Spread the mixture into a flat tray and let the water evaporate overnight.
Another way to make herbal colours at home is to use spices, flower extracts and plant herbs. This is more time consuming and expensive but safe on skin.
Sober Saffron's
Saffron is often associated with happiness, festivity, sacredness and optimism. Take rice powder and add turmeric and sandalwood powder to make saffron/orange colour.
Passionate Reds
Red is the colour of love, energy and vibrancy. Here are some simple tips to make red herbal colour at home.
- Take dry red rose petals and grind these petals and use this red powder as gulal.
- Red sandalwood powder is dissolved in rose water to make red colour solution
- Dried red hibiscus flowers are grinded them to form lovely red color.
- Boil water with the peels of red pomegranate fruit or wood of Madder Tree. Cool this water and your red colour solution is ready to use.
- Half litre of tomato and carrot juice diluted in 1 litre of water to get natural red color.
Glowing Greens
Green colour appears vibrant and soothing in nature. It stands for peace, harmony and purity. This beautiful colour has a calming and healing effect. Here are simple ways to make green colour for Holi at home:
- Mint leaves, Spinach or Coriander leaves are dried and ground to obtain a rich green gulal.
- Different shades of green colour can be obtained by mixing henna powder with maid /wheat flour.
Mystical Magentas
- Grate a medium size beetroot & soak it overnight in 1 litre of water. This will generate deep magenta colour solution.
- Dilute it with water for desired shade of colour.
- Prepare orange pink solution at home by boiling 10 to 15 onion peels in 1/2 litre of water.
Bold Blues
Blue represents peace and faith. It is a cool colour and has soothing effects. It shows new beginnings and creative expression of emotions.
- Jacaranda flowers are dried in shade and grinded to obtain a beautiful blue coloured powder.
- The blue Hibiscus flowers are sun dried and powdered to get blue gulal.
- The leaves of Indigo plant are used for getting rich blue colour.
Jubilant Yellows
Yellow colour represents hope, energy and awakening of spring season.
- Mix 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder with 4 teaspoons of besan (gram flour). Your yellow gulal is ready to use.
- Dried petals of marigold and yellow chrysanthemums flowers are grinded to yield different shades of yellow colour for Holi.
- Soak 25 marigold flowers in 1 litre of water for overnight and boil it to obtain yellow colour solution.
- Boil 1 teaspoon of turmeric in 1 litre of water to yield dark yellow colour solution.
