A seven-day Rajsakhi Fair in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district is displaying products crafted by women’s self-help groups from the Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad. The fair, running from February 22 to 28, is a collaboration between the Rajeevika group and the district administration, offering a variety of handmade goods for sale. Notably, herbal colors made from local plants have become a major attraction ahead of the Holi festival.
Superintendent of Police Mamta Gupta, Zila Parishad CEO Brijmohan Bairwa, Rajeevika DPM Dr. Suman Ajmer, BJP district President Jagdish Paliwal, and other officials attended the fair’s inauguration. They inaugurated the event, toured different stalls, and engaged with the participants. As Holi approaches, the demand for skin-friendly herbal colors sourced from indigenous flowers and leaves is on the rise, providing both eco-friendly options and employment opportunities for rural women.
Bala Devi, a member of a Rajeevika women’s group from Kumbhalgarh, mentioned that their group has been producing herbal colors for four years, witnessing increasing demand. She highlighted the employment of 30 to 35 women through this initiative, emphasizing the colors’ lack of side effects. Consumers like Bhagyashree Khatik have shown interest in these products, such as red color from palash flowers and green color from custard apple and neem leaves, appreciating their skin-safe nature.
Mukesh Kumar Nuwal, the Manager of the Rajeevika Group in Rajsamand, explained that the herbal colors are derived entirely from natural sources. For instance, yellow comes from marigold flowers, green from custard apple and neem leaves, red from palash flowers, and maroon from beetroot juice. The officials reported receiving orders worth approximately Rs 7 lakh for these eco-friendly Holi colors, reflecting a growing preference for sustainable festive products.
