With Holi coming up, many Mumbaikars are opting for unique experiences this year. Be it celebrating amidst nature or making colour from natural ingredients – here’s how they are getting ready for the festival tomorrow.
A natural colour making workshop for kids
Anjali Tripathi and her colleagues, who have been teaching kids how to make natural colour in Sion and Goregaon, says, “At our workshops we teach participants to create safe, eco-friendly colours instead of using chemical-based alternatives. Children learn to extract and mix colours using natural ingredients. We demonstrate various methods, including extraction, drying and mixing techniques. Spinach is used to make green colour, turmeric for yellow, beetroot for red, Palash flower for orange and so on. We demonstrate various methods, including extraction, drying, and mixing techniques, to produce long-lasting colours. Participants take home their handmade colour in packaging made from recycled newspapers.”

Holi stories and games for kids
Another fun workshop for kids organised by Mridul Kedia and Dhruvi Anandji focuses on a water-free Holi celebration, along with storytime for children aged four to eight years. Mridul says, “We teach kids to make thandai truffles and colourful sharbats. Activities include a magical yet scientific way to change a natural purple extract into a beautiful pink extract! As well as a natural yellow water turned into orange and back again into yellow. They have a fun time trying out new things and experimenting with colour.”
Pick flowers from Aarey forest to make natural colours
Among the interesting cultural experiences available, is celebrating Holi with a local tribal community in Aarey Forest. Co-hosted by Manisha Dhinde, a Warli artist from the community, the experience includes picking ingredients and learning to cook on a choolha, picking flowers from the forest to make natural Holi colours and indulging in an authentic local meal. Organiser Shreya Valecha says, “Attendees learn to make ukadiche modak, cooked over an open fire with the tribal community. The focus here is on colour, culture and community. They also learn to make safe, eco-friendly colours from the natural pigments found in the forest. This isn’t just Holi – it’s going back to your roots celebrating culture under the open sky.”

This time we have planned to ditch the regular Holi party. My friends and I have decided to go to a green spot in Aarey. Its going to be a happy and green Holi
– Trisha Bharadwaj, entrepreneur