Prayagraj: Tesu, also known as Palas or ‘Flame of the Forest’, is gradually gaining populartity as a natural alternative to synthetic Holi colours in Prayagraj. The flower is collected mainly from trans-Yamuna areas and processed into herbal, chemical-free gulal by rural women associated with the Bioved Research Institute of Agriculture & Technology, Prayagraj.These natural colours are skin-friendly and eco-friendly offering protection from allergies caused by artificial dyes. The initiative also created livelihood opportunities for women in water-scarce villages, linking traditional forest produce with sustainable income generation and growing demand for herbal products.For Lalita (35), Reeta (40), Shyam Kali (50), Anushika (22), and other women, Holi brings added smiles as it the one occasion when they can manage extra earnings from flowers.Tesu flower (Butea monosperma) is collected by the NGO team in its flowering season, from Jan-March, dried in sunlight and then stored in controlled conditions.“The powder made from the dried flowers has a huge market, nationally and internationally, as it has several cosmetic and medicinal properties. It also creates an additional income for women in Prayagraj as well as the entire region of Bundelkhand due to presence of dense forests of Palas,” said director BRIAT BK Dwivedi.This powder is also used in bio-lipstick, bio-paint, bio-nail polish, etc by many companies in Germany and Japan, said Dwivedi.“We started Rangini Lac cultivation on Palas which has given promising results for lac production by farming a cluster of 50 hectare of land in each block, and also promoting the technology of preparation of herbal gulal and abeer by mixing different natural colours of flowers of rose, marigold, Har Singar, and Palas, and manufacturing eco-friendly and perfumed gulal,” said Dwivedi.The NGO conducted steeping methods of solvent extraction at ambient conditions and observed that a 50% methanol-water solution performed better with solvent extraction steeping methods.Demand for this natural colour is increasing but due to the small unit and existing resources, we are unable to increase its production, he said.
