Born out of necessity during the Covid-19 lockdown, 37-year-old Kharghar resident Sonam Ambe discovered a simple yet innovative way to celebrate Holi safely. Determined to keep the festive spirit alive for her young son, she began extracting colours from vegetables and flowers, blending them with science to create natural, eco-friendly Holi colours.

"We were confined to our homes during the pandemic, and I didn’t want my toddler to miss out on the joy of Holi. That’s when I decided to make my own Holi colours using vegetables, flowers, and corn flour," shares Sonam.

Sonam’s colour-making process is straightforward yet fascinating. "For yellow, all you need is good-quality dry turmeric, which can be ground into a fine powder. To make green, blanch spinach, puree it, and mix it with cornflour and rose water for a pleasant fragrance. For pink, boil beetroot to extract its rich tint, and for blue, blue pea flowers (Shankha Pushpa) work wonders. The coloured extracts can then be mixed with corn flour to create dry Holi powders. These four primary colours and be further mixed with each other and different colours can be created," she explains.

What started as a simple experiment for her family soon turned into an annual tradition. "Until 2023, I diligently made organic Holi colours every year for my family to enjoy a safe and eco-friendly celebration," Sonam says.

In 2024, Sonam decided to take her initiative a step further by sharing her knowledge with the community. She conducted a free workshop for 15 children, demonstrating how easily Holi colours could be made using natural ingredients.

"The kids were amazed to see how spinach could create green, beetroot could make pink, turmeric could produce yellow, and blue pea flowers could give a beautiful blue hue," she recalls.

To extend her impact, Sonam, who is also the founder of Local Gyan, a STEM-based learning initiative that promotes learning from nature, recently organised a community founded workshop for 27 children, from Girija Orphanage in Kharghar.

"Holi is not just about playing with colours; it's about celebrating joy, science, and sustainability," says Sonam. With her simple yet effective approach, she is inspiring many to embrace an eco-friendly way to celebrate festivals while fostering creativity and scientific curiosity among children.