Where Do the Colors of Holi Go?

Holi is a festival of color, where people joyfully smear pigments on friends and strangers alike. Yet an equally important ritual follows the celebration is the careful and sometimes desperate attempt to wash those colors away. This is evident by the peculiar sight on the streets of my neighborhood I notice. The small naalis—the narrow drains that run along the edges of roads—begin to flow with faint shades of pink and green. On a closer examination it becomes clear that they are not random stains; they are the afterlife of a celebration.

As a student of urban ecology, I often find myself drawn to these moments when human activities become visible within larger ecological systems. Cities are full of such connections, though we rarely pause to observe them. The water that washes colors from our skin, clothes, and courtyards does not simply disappear. It joins a network of flows that link households, neighborhoods, and eventually rivers.

A child curiously watches coloured water flowing into a roadside drain inlet, a small glimpse of how Holi colors enter urban drainage systems. (Picture Credits: Nirjesh)

The colors we try to wash away from our skin or remove from our sight do not simply disappear. They seep into the soil, linger briefly in the air, and eventually become part of our water bodies. Moreover, these colors are not always benign. In the days leading up to Holi, markets are filled with powders in every imaginable shade, including electric blues, bright oranges, shimmering greens, and metallic pinks. Their intensity can feel almost magical. This remarkable variety is largely made possible by modern chemical manufacturing, which allows the production of an astonishing diversity of pigments. In the absence of strict regulation, such industrial dyes find their way into colors sold for Holi celebrations.

Beyond their adverse effects on human health, these colors can also contribute to air, water, and soil pollution. For instance, a study examining wastewater after Holi reported noticeable changes in water quality (Sheetal, 2015). Researchers observed that the water became slightly more acidic and showed a sharp increase in hardness and dissolved solids. The samples were also highly turbid and visibly colored, conditions that can reduce sunlight penetration and lower oxygen availability in water bodies. The study further detected traces of heavy metals such as chromium in the samples. Such changes can disrupt aquatic ecosystems, making it harder for plants and fish to survive in polluted and oxygen-poor water.

Image: A water tanker sprays water over a crowd celebrating Holi. Fine colored dust is visible in the air. Such airborne particles can remain suspended for long periods and may affect respiratory health when inhaled. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

In another study, researchers examined how the Holi festival in Mumbai affected air quality (Simha et al., 2013). They measured tiny particles in the air, known as aerosols, before, during, and after Holi in 2010. Their observations showed a sharp increase in fine particles associated with bonfires and colored powders used during the celebrations. The spike in pollution reduced the amount of sunlight reaching the ground, leading to temporary local cooling near the surface. Scientists measured energy imbalances ranging from 28 to 78 watts per square meter, indicating a noticeable short-term impact on atmospheric conditions.

Furthermore, Gardner & Lal (2012), in their study on the environmental impact of Holi colors, conducted phytotoxicity tests on wheat (Triticum aestivum). Their results showed reduced seed germination as well as shorter root and shoot growth at higher dye concentrations. The researchers also noted that dye leaching can disrupt soil fertility and microbial ecosystems. Many of these dyes are complex chemical polymers that resist natural decomposition and can persist in soil and water for extended periods. Laboratory observations further indicated that some dyes inhibited the growth of certain bacteria, suggesting potential impacts on microbial life.

The colored water that flows through our drains after Holi may appear harmless, but these research suggests that these pigments can also influence environmental processes in subtle ways. The intersection of cultural practices and ecological systems is therefore an important area of inquiry. In an era marked by the Anthropocene, accelerating biodiversity loss, and the declining quality of natural resources in cities, it may be time to reflect more carefully on how everyday celebrations interact with urban ecosystems.

Mainstream festivals like Holi are rarely discussed in ecological language. They are moments of joy, community, and tradition. Yet they also reshape flows of water, materials, and energy within cities. Holi, perhaps more than many other festivals, makes these flows visible through color.

The white specks visible at the top of the image are actually water droplets. A person standing a few floors above was throwing buckets of water on people walking below. I watched this for nearly thirty minutes before I was finally hit by a water balloon myself. What appears playful also involves a substantial amount of water. If each bucket holds around 20 liters and several people continue throwing water throughout the celebration, a considerable volume of water mixed with synthetic colors eventually flows into the city’s drains. (Picture Credits: Nirjesh)

As Holi fills the streets with laughter and bright powders, it may be worth pausing to ask a simple but curious question: where do Holi’s colors go? They may disappear from our skin and from our sight, but perhaps they remain within the landscapes around us, becoming part of our urban nature.

Sources:

1. Gardner, J. J., & Lal, D. (2012). Impact of ‘Holi’ on the environment: A scientific study.

2. Sheetal, V. (2015). Analysis of Water after Holi Festival. Research Journal of Recent Sciences.

3. Simha, C. P., Devara, P. C. S., & Saha, S. K. (2013). Aerosol pollution and its impact on regional climate during Holi festival inferred from ground-based and satellite remote sensing observations. Natural Hazards, 69(1), 889–903. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0743-6

4. https://www.academia.edu/143673284/The_Shift_to_Herbal_Holi_Colors_for_Health_and_Environmental_Sustainability

5. https://medium.com/@theenquiringlayman/indelibility-of-the-colours-of-holi-f46a62231653