Holi 2023: Holi is one of the biggest Hindu festivals celebrated after Diwali which spreads happiness and joy. Celebrated since time immemorial, Holi is the festival of colours where people put ‘gulaal’ (Colours) on each other and celebrate love and togetherness. It is the festival where everyone, despite having differences, comes together and celebrates it with love. Hence, as the festival of colours is just around the corner and everyone is gearing up to celebrate it with full pomp and show, one always thinks about the type of colours one is using as not every type of ‘gulaal’ is good for the skin. Hence, here’s an ‘eco-friendly’ Gulal Gota which has been a part of every Holi celebration for years and is now in demand again. But what is Gulal Gota? Let’s find it out.
What is the traditional ‘Gulal Gota’?
The traditional ‘Gulal Gota’ or lac balls filled with natural dry colours are again finding favour with Holi revellers despite the dominance of cheap synthetic options in the market. The round-shaped Gulal Gota are traditionally manufactured in Jaipur where a few Muslim families have been engaged in this work for generations. The tradition of using Gulal Gota goes back to 400 years when the erstwhile Jaipur royal family members would play Holi with them. Made of lac, these balls are filled with natural colours. Unlike water balloons and water guns, Gulal Gota does not cause any harm.
Are Gulal Gota’s In Demand?
Artisans and manufacturers say the demand for Gulal Gota has seen a rise of late. “Most of the current generation enjoys Holi with synthetic gulal, water balloons, and guns, but only a few people know and use the beautiful Gulal Gota on Holi. However, now the young generation is also getting attracted towards it,” Avaz Mohammed, an artisan, said.
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Mohammed says his children have also learned the art of making the balls over the decades. Due to the bulk orders, artisans start handcrafting Gulal Gotas around two months before the Holi festival.
“The best thing about Gulal Gotas is that they are so thin and delicate one can easily break them with a hand. Gulal Gota is still the favourite of erstwhile royal families and is a part of their Holi celebrations,” he said.
Views Of Artisans Making Gulal Gota
Mohammad is spreading the art of making Gulal Gotas with Rajasthan Studio, an organisation that is giving art lovers a platform to co-create personalised art souvenirs with master artists.
Gulal Gota manufacturing is one of the arts which the organisation is promoting. “Gulal Gota is a beautiful Indian craft and tradition gaining popularity worldwide. Seeing the love for Indian art forms, we connected with artists in Rajasthan and created platforms to bridge the interest of art lovers and passion of master artisans,” Kartik Gaggar, CEO of Rajasthan Studio, told PTI.
Another artisan Parvez Mohammad says the demand for Gulal Gota is coming from other cities as well. “Apart from individual groups and temples, Gulal Gota is now widely being used in events and parties also. This is one of the reasons behind the increase in the demand,” he said.
“There was a time when the demand for Gulal Gota had significantly reduced and we were upset. The situation is better now because of the increase in demand and orders, not only from Jaipur but from other parts of the country also,” he said.
“It is mainly because of its uniqueness that people prefer it. It is eco-friendly, does not harm anyone, and does not have any side effects like that of synthetic colours,” Mohammad added. He said six pieces of standard size are available for Rs 150.
Prakash Verma, a retailer who sells Holi colours in Jaipur, said Gulal Gotas had a good sale last year. “This year also, I am expecting a good sale of Gulal Gota. This is a unique thing and the younger generation likes to explore it,” he added.
As per folk tales, the royal family members in Jaipur used to roam around their kingdom and throw Gulal Gota at passersby. Gulal Gotas are also used in temples across India, especially the Govind Devji temple in Jaipur and those in Mathura and Vrindavan.
(With inputs from PTI)