Mhow (Madhya Pradesh): As soon as the month of Phalgun begins, the flowers of Palash tree (Tesu) bloom in the forests and the process of making colours from these flowers has been going on since ancient times. The Forest Department had started the work of making gulal and herbal colours from tissue flowers 7 years back but the work was stopped 5 years back. The work has been restarted this year and the Choral Forest Village Committee has given the work to women who will get the profit that accrues by the sale of herbal colour.
According to Ranger Ravikant Jain this time the quantum of tesu flowers is more than last time. That's why this time saffron, light pink and yellow colours are being prepared along with gulal. Herbal gulal will be prepared by mixing arrowroot powder and edible colour. Jain said that this time the demand is high and about 300 kg gulal will be made from 1,500 kg tesu flowers. A group of about 15 women continue this work for 3 weeks and this time these women are likely to get remuneration of more than Rs.10,000. Jain told that information was also taken from Indore, Mhow, Dewas and abroad for this natural gulal.
The stall for sale will be started most probably by February 25. Here 100 grams of gulal and colour will be available for Rs 55. Along with this, a bamboo basket has also been prepared for gift packing.
All beat guards have been given the task of collecting the flowers. Tesu flowers have been collected from the forests of Ashapura, Talai Naka, Gwalu, Surtipura, Umath, Raskundu, Nayapura and Kulthana.
