HOLI (COLOURFUL FESTIVAL HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ) AND ITS EFFECTS ON ENVIRONMENT

Every March, people in India celebrate Holi 

for at least two days. Holi is also called the

Festival of Colors. It is a religious holiday

for the faith of Hindu.

On the days of Holi, people in India party

together. They build bonfires on the roads.

They throw colored powders at each other.

They spray colored water at each other. It is

a lot of fun

Why do people in India celebrate Holi?(HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ) :

• Nobody knows for sure, as there are different stories about the holiday's origin. Of the various versions, the fight between Vishnu and Hiranyakshipu may be the most famous.Vishnu is a good God. Hiranyakashipu is a demon king. The two never liked each other.

  

   
• Then things got even worse after Vishnu killed  Hiranyakashipu's younger brother in a battle. Hiranyakashipu was very upset. He vowed to avenge the death of his younger brother. 
• To reach this goal, he meditated in a mountain for several years so he could gain magical powers. At last, his hard work paid off. The God of creation, Brahma, appeared before him. He said, "Hiranyakashipu, I am touched by your passion. Now, tell me what you are praying for."Hiranyakashipu replied, "Great Lord, my prayer is about the way I shall die. I wish not to be killed by any creature made by you. I wish not to be killed either indoor or outdoor. I wish not to be killed either during the day or at night. I wish not to be killed by any weapon. I wish not to be killed either on earth or in heavens. 

  

• Please grant me those wishes." Brahma agreed. He granted Hiranyakashipu those wishes.With Brahma's blessing, Hiranyakashipu believed he was invincible.
• He became very sure of himself. He wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship him. He wanted everybody in his kingdom to treat him like a god. Afraid of his power, everybody in his kingdom obeyed him. The only person who did not do so was his own son,Prahalad. Prahalad was a young boy. As a devoted follower of Vishnu, he knew it was wrong of his father to call himself a God. So he refused to worship him like one. Hiranyakashipu was very angry.

  

• He first tried to change his son's mind. But that did not work. He then tried to kill his son by burning him alive! To do that, he needed help.
• He went to see his evil sister, Holika, who had a magical power of not getting burned. He asked Holika to hold Prahalad on her lap and sit on a bonfire. She agreed.Now, with Holika on his side, Hiranyakashipu prepared a bonfire. He had Holika hold Prahalad on her lap and sit on it. As the fire was blazing, Vishnu appeared. He took away Holika's magical power and rescued Prahalad. Holika died in the fire.Interestingly, this ending is only one version of the story

  

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• In another version of the story, Holika was a good woman. When she and her nephew sat on the fire, she gave him her magical power.

  
  

• Thus, she died, but Prahalad did not.Because the two endings were very different, having bonfires on Holi carries two different meanings, too. For the first version, bonfires mark the end of evil and darkness. For the second version, bonfires signify people's respect for Holika
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• Building bonfires is only one tradition on Holi. Throwing colored powders and spraying colored water is another. The origin of this custom was said to be from a god named Krishna. Krishna was very naughty. He liked to play pranks. One of his all-time favorites was to throw colored powders and spray colored water on passersby.

Though Holi may mean different things to different people in India, it sure is a fun holiday for everybody. Over this brief period, people in India forget about their problems. They forget about their backgrounds. They forget about their social classes. All they want is to have a good time. They use this holiday to celebrate the harvest of winter crops. They use this holiday to celebrate the arrival of spring.

And, most definitely, they use this holiday to throw colored powders and spray colored water at their friends, relatives, or even total strangers!

EFFECTS OF COLOUR ON ENVIRONMENT 

‘Holi’ has become more of an environmental hazard now-a-days. This study showed the microbiological impact of toxic colors used during ‘Holi’. Soil and water samples containing dye-degrading bacteria were isolated and screened for bioremediation purposes.

 The physic-chemical properties were studied extensively where the average temperature and pH of the water samples taken from all 3 sites were 21.7°C and 8.1 respectively. The average turbidity was recorded to be 151.3 NTU. Titration methods to determine BOD, COD and DO resulted in 2 mg/l,262.3 mg/l and 11.4 mg/l respectively. This showed that oxygen content in all the 3 sites was utilized by the bacteria in the water for their growth and proliferation

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The contaminated water samples from 3 sites recorded an average amount of 357.6 mg/l TDS, 1.88 mg/l total hardness and 34 mg/l alkalinity. Chlorides and nitrates were recorded at 4.73 mg/l and 1.56 mg/l respectively. 

This was due to the ‘Holi’ color in the water samples that completely changed the physic-chemical parameters of the water collected for this research purpose. Because of the widespread use and potential carcinogenicity of certain dyes, there has been a growing interest in assessing the hazards associated with dyes available in the local market. Such dyes are openly sold without any information regarding their chemical nature, purity, toxicity or possible mutagenicity

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The aim of this research work was to biologically degrade the toxic Holi’ colors and lessen their ill effects. Such bacteria have well adapted themselves in this polluted environment.

Toxic trials of these dyes on bacteria and Triticum vulgare showed decreased growth and reproduction. Utilization of these novel bacteria in biodegradation of ‘Holi’ colors will eventually help in the long run. 

Taking into  consideration the findings of this research, we must spearhead bioremediation practices in order to detoxify the after effects of ‘Holi’ in our country. Such promising results have not been documented till date using soil and water samples contaminated with ‘Holi’ colors. 

In recent years, several non-governmental organizations have started campaigning for safe practices related to the use of colors. Some are producing and marketing ranges of safer colors derived from natural sources such as vegetables and flowers.

 

Alternatives like vegetable dyes prepared from various plant extracts have been developed in the Indian Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC) and National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI). They lack the mechano-abrasive and phototoxic properties of synthetic dyes. Use of such non-toxic colors should be encouraged, and doctors should caution people against using synthetic dyes such as ‘Holi’ colors.

 The NGO, Society for Child Welfare, is being assisted by the Delhi government's environment department in its work. These products, along with those manufactured by some other NGOs are tested by Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research and other research laboratories. 

We believe that large-scale efforts to increase public awareness regarding the health hazards of harmful colors, widespread availability of safer alternatives at affordable prices, and governmental regulatory control on the production and selling of hazardous chemicals will go a long way in a safer and environment-conscious celebration of this vibrant festival.