Skin-friendly gulal, made from Kachnar flowers, to mark Ram Lalla’s Holi

Lucknow: Lord Shri Ram Lalla will enjoy the Holi with skin-friendly gulal made from Kachnar flowers at his magnificent temple in Awadhpuri as the scientists of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) have crafted this special gulal, to honour Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarkable contribution to conserve the rich tradition and heritage of the country.

The scientists have prepared another herbal gulal from the flowers offered at Gorakhnath Temple, Gorakhpur. The gulals made from kachnar as well as other flowers offered at Gorakhnath Temple are available in lavender and sandalwood fragrances, respectively.

Director of the institute Dr Ajit Kumar Shashani presented both the special gulals to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and earned his appreciation on Wednesday.

Lauding the efforts of the institute, the CM said that the initiative will provide more opportunities to start-ups and entrepreneurs while generating employment both within UP as well as across the country.

Underscoring CM Yogi's efforts to conserve trees and plants that find mention in the Ramayana in Ayodhya, Director Dr Ajit said, "Kachnar was considered the state tree of Ayodhya in Treta Yuga and it has been used as a well-established medicine in our Ayurvedic system of medicine."

He said. "Drawing inspiration from the CM’s efforts to respect heritage and preserve tradition, our scientists have developed this herbal gulal, especially for Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Ayodhya, from the flowers of Bauhinia species commonly known as Kachnar. Kachnar has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal etc. properties. Similarly, herbal gulal has been extracted from flowers offered at Gorakhnath Temple, Gorakhpur. These herbal gulal have been tested and are completely safe for human skin and eco-friendly."

According to Shashani, the colours of these herbal gulals are not bright as they do not contain harmful chemicals like lead, chromium and nickel. "The colours extracted from flowers are mixed with natural ingredients to form a powder that can be easily wiped off the skin," he said.

Herbal Gulal technology has been transferred to many companies and start-ups for better availability of the eco-friendly gulal in the market. Talking about the chemical gulal currently available in the market, Dr. Shashani said that these contain dangerous chemicals that can cause allergies, irritation and serious problems in the skin and eyes.

He elaborated that a key characteristic of herbal gulal is its tendency to not quickly stain the hands, distinguishing it from other varieties. The Herbal Gulal produced by the institute serves as a secure substitute for the harmful chemical-based colors commonly available in the market during the Holi festivities.