Dr. KK Aggarwal:Holi festival of colors to remove mental impurities

 New Delhi, 24^th March 2013:  Holi is a festival of love and joy and should be used as a medium of communication to remove the mental dirt and impurities and cleanse the mind, said Padma Shri & Dr. BC Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India & National Vice President Elect IMA.

 He said that Holi festival should not end up with quarrels, violence or eve teasing.

 Unsafe Holi

• Green and bluish green chemicals contain malachite green, which can be toxic to the eyes. Auramine, methyl violet, rhodamine and orange II are all phototoxic colours and can damage the skin.
• Mica in Holi colours can damage the skin.
• Instead of chemical dyes, one should use floral dyes. Flowers like Marigold, China rose, Butterfly Pea, Flame of the Forest etc. are used for the extraction of colours.
• ‘Bhang’ or cannabis can precipitate acute abnormal mental behavior and psychosis. In the susceptible individuals, it can increase the heart rate and blood pressure. Pre treatment with a beta blocker can take away the bad effects of bhang.
• Alcohol can impair judgment and make prone to accidents.
• Balloons can cause blunt injuries to the eyes and precipitate head injuries.
• Beware of date rape drugs. Do not play Holi with strangers.
• Do not throw colour at sensitive parts of the body, such as eyes. If colour enters the eye, immediately wash it with a lot of water. If irritation persists, medical aid should be sought immediately.

Some tips

·         Use dental caps to protect teeth from staining.

·         Use sunglasses to keep eyes safe from the harmful chemicals of the colours.

·         Wear old and ragged clothes that may be discarded.

·         Wear full-sleeved T-shirts or shirts and leggings that fully cover the legs.

·         Wear socks.

·         Brightly coloured and dark coloured clothes should be preferred.

·         Keep your eyes and lips tightly closed, when colour is being applied on you.

·         Apply a thick layer of any oil on your body and hair till they glisten to make the skin slippery.  This will help wash off colours easily later on.

·         While washing off the colour, use lukewarm water and keep eyes and lips tightly closed.

·         While traveling, keep the car windows tightly shut.

·         Use a hat, cap to protect the hair from being coloured with hard-to rinse dyes/colours.

·         If you venture out on the streets, avoid mob frenzy.

·         Do not bump into the frenzied group of mob if you take to streets. Cross the road to the sidewalk across. Or, simply stay at a safe distance.

·         Discourage children to play Holi with eggs, mud or gutter water.

·         Avoid use of abir as it has flakes of mica.

·         Stop children from forcibly applying colour on a hesitant neighbor.

·         Don’t walk alone on the streets on the day of Holi.

·         Use only natural colour and water.

·         Keep a big bucket of clean water handy for your children, so that they do not resort to gutter water and other unclean sources.

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