My Journey to India: The Heart of Our Colour Powder Production
India has always fascinated me. As the birthplace of the colour powder that fuels festivals, colour runs, events, and celebrations all around the world, it’s a country rich in tradition, culture, craftsmanship, and vibrant energy. Last year, I (Nigel Halliday, Managing Director of Ministry Of Colours) had the privilege of visiting our suppliers to see firsthand how our authentic, top-quality colour powder is made – from locally sourced ingredients to the final product that ends up in the hands of our customers.
Authenticity at the Core
At Ministry of Colours, we believe in bringing our customers the most authentic experience possible. That’s why we source our colour powder directly from India, the home of Holi and colour celebrations. Unlike some other alternatives, our colour powder follows a traditional production process that has been passed down for generations.
The journey starts with locally sourced cornstarch, chosen for its soft, silky texture and natural properties. This starch is then dyed using food-grade colours, ensuring that every handful of powder is not only vibrant but also safe for the skin and the environment. Once dyed, the powder is dried using natural heat and sunlight, or where needed, renewable fuels, making the entire process sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing
One of the things that struck me the most during my trip was how deeply committed our suppliers are to sustainability. In a world where industrial production often comes at the cost of environmental damage, I was proud to see how our colour powder is created using eco-conscious methods. The reliance on natural drying techniques (it was very hot there!) reduces energy consumption, and by using non-toxic, biodegradable ingredients, we ensure that our colour powder leaves no harmful impact on the planet.
Making a Difference: Economic and Social Impact
Beyond sustainability, our colour powder production plays a crucial role in supporting local communities. Every bag of powder we sell helps employ over 100 people, from factory workers to logistics teams, helping to provide stable income and opportunities in regions where employment can be scarce.
One of the most inspiring aspects of our supplier’s business is their dedication to gender equality and social responsibility. Their female Sales Director is a testament to the changing dynamics in India’s workforce, and I was truly inspired by her leadership and passion for the industry. On top of this, our manufacturer actively supports Government schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, which translates to “Save the Girl, Educate the Girl.” This initiative aims to combat gender bias and improve opportunities and welfare services for young girls, ensuring they have better access to education and a brighter future.
Knowing that our partnership contributes to such meaningful causes makes every festival, race, and event that uses our colour powder even more special.
A Journey of Insight and Appreciation
Walking through the production facilities, meeting the dedicated workers, and witnessing the traditional craftsmanship behind every batch of powder was a great experience. It reaffirmed my belief in our commitment to quality, authenticity, and ethical sourcing.
At Ministry of Colours, we’re not just selling colour powder—we’re sharing a piece of India’s rich culture and supporting a supply chain that empowers communities. We are incredibly proud to be a part of this industry, ensuring that every handful of colour you throw carries with it a story of tradition, sustainability, and positive impact.
Until next time, India—thank you for the colour, the culture, and the inspiration.
Nigel Halliday
Managing Director, Ministry of Colours
Holi Festival Celebration Ideas – How to Get the Most Out of Holi
Holi, the vibrant and joyous Festival of Colours, is one of the most celebrated festivals in India and around the world. This festival signifies the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil, and the beauty of unity in diversity. While the traditional celebration of Holi involves throwing colour powder, singing, dancing, and sharing sweets with loved ones, there are plenty of fun and meaningful ways to enhance the experience. Here are some Holi celebration ideas to help you get the most out of this colourful festival!
1. Create a Colourful Holi Powder Bar
One of the signature elements of Holi is colour powder, also known as Gulal. To make the celebration even more fun, set up a DIY Holi powder bar with a variety of vibrant colours. Provide friends and family with small containers or sachets, allowing them to pick their favourite colours or even mix them to create custom hues. This colourful station will encourage creativity and make the celebration more personalised.
Pro Tip: To ensure everyone’s safety, use skin-friendly, non-toxic powders. If possible, choose organic and sustainable powders for environmental benefits.
2. Holi-Themed Food and Drinks
Make your Holi celebration even more special by preparing some vibrant and delicious Holi-themed food and drinks. You can serve up bright, colourful treats like gujiya (a traditional sweet), samosas, and thandai (a spiced milk-based drink). Why not get creative and infuse your favourite snacks with a burst of colour? You could also try making rainbow cupcakes, fruit salads, or vibrant smoothies. For drinks, you can go the extra mile by making rainbow cocktails or mocktails, using colourful juices and garnishes. Offering a Holi-inspired punch bowl or a mix of refreshing beverages will add a festive touch to your party.
3. Holi Dance Party
Holi is all about music, dance, and celebration. To truly experience the full joy of Holi, host a dance party featuring lively Bollywood tunes and Holi-themed songs. Think “Rang Barse,” “Balam Pichkari,” and “Holi Ke Din.” Organise a fun flash mob or create a mini dance competition with friends and family to let the rhythm take over. Consider hiring a professional dancer or a DJ to get the party moving. For extra fun, hand out coloured accessories like leis or sunglasses for guests to wear during the dance. You can even incorporate dance games to break the ice and get everyone involved in the groove.
4. Host a Holi DIY Craft Session
If you’re looking for a calmer, more creative way to celebrate, why not host a Holi-themed craft party? Gather your friends or family to create colourful decorations for the occasion. You could make tie-dye t-shirts using white tops, colour powder and apple cider vinegar. Or how about painted Holi mugs, paper lanterns or vibrant flower garlands! Crafting is a fantastic way to bond with loved ones and create beautiful, lasting mementos of the celebration. For children, set up a DIY Rangoli station where they can use Rangoli, coloured powders or flower petals to make beautiful designs.
5. Holi Colour Run
Another fun idea is organising a colour run or a mini colour race. Set up a course in your garden, local park or venue where participants can run or walk while getting splashed with coloured powders. This will be an exciting way to engage everyone in the festivities, and the final photos will be bursting with colour!
6. Enjoy Holi with Family Games
Organise games like tug-of-war or relay races to add some healthy competition to the colourful day. Playing games together helps foster strong relationships and creates lasting memories.
7. Incorporate Holi Acts of Kindness
Holi is not only a time for celebration but also a chance to spread happiness and kindness. As you enjoy the festivities, consider organising a Holi charity event where you and your friends can fundraise or donate money, food, clothing, or toys to those in need. Sharing your joy and blessings with others is one of the best ways to celebrate the spirit of Holi.
8. Eco-Friendly Holi
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the environmental impact of Holi celebrations. You can choose to make your celebration eco-friendly by using organic colour powder, reducing plastic waste, and being mindful of water usage. You can also opt for biodegradable paper plates and cups, ensuring your party leaves no harmful trace behind.
9. Virtual Holi Party
If you’re not able to be physically together with your loved ones, consider hosting a virtual Holi celebration. With a little creativity, you can share the festival spirit even from a distance. Send out colourful invitations via email, hold an online dance-off, or live steam the event. You can even organise a virtual colour splash event where participants wear colourful outfits and play with colours in front of the camera.
Conclusion
Holi is all about fun, togetherness, and celebrating life’s vibrant moments. Whether you’re celebrating with family, friends, or a wider community, the possibilities for making this festival memorable are endless. By adding your own creative touches, hosting themed parties, playing fun games, or spreading kindness, you’ll create a celebration that everyone will remember. If you want to host the ultimate Holi event, everything you need can be found right here at Ministry Of Colours. So, get ready to embrace the spirit of Holi and make the most of this colourful festival!
How To Fundraise With Colour Powder
Here at Ministry of Colours we want you to make the most of your fundraising event so here are some tips that we have gathered over the years that might help.
Firstly, you’ll need a method to collect the donations, our sister company Care Fundraising Supplies has a selection of charity collection items in a variety of colours and sizes. All can be provided with bespoke labels to your specific event.
Think about offering plain white t-shirts to wear during the event. These are ideal as your participants can protect their own clothes and also have a colourful reminder of their day. Remember to tell everyone that the colours wash out of most materials, but to avoid wearing their new shiny, white trainers!
Although our colour powder is very safe, eye protection is recommended and can also be an opportunity to raise extra funds. We have a range of great value sunglasses and sun visors that are very popular to sell on the day too.
Medals go down well too - these are bespoke medals that need ordering in advance, but we have our standard colour run medals in stock that are a great addition.
Offer a selection of fun and colourful accessories to continue the theme; headbands, wristbands and flower garlands are all extra fundraising ideas that are easily available from us that boost your fundraising efforts. We find that the dressing up aspect is almost as important as the colour powder.
Most importantly, have a great time.
Party safely!
My First Holi Festival
POV: A Yorkshireman At Holi
As a relatively uncultured Yorkshireman, I had no idea what to expect when I was stationed to work at the UK’s largest Holi Festival at Beaver Works in Leeds. Now most festivals I have attended in the past have a ‘no mess’ policy, but not this one! At Holi you are encouraged to make as much mess as possible with safe and natural powders that come in 7 vibrant colours. Celebrating my first Holi festival was an exciting and colorful experience filled with joy and tradition. One that will be remembered forever. I soon found out that Holi was more than just a party, it’s a time for friends and family to forget differences and come together in a spirit of unity and love.
Holi, also known as the festival of colors, is a Hindu festival originally celebrated in India but now celebrated all over the world. It marks the arrival of spring and signifies the victory of good over evil in Hindu mythology. During Holi, people come together to play with vibrant colored powders, known as gulal, creating a beautiful kaleidoscope of hues. Each colour at Holi represents something different:
- Red symbolises love and passion and is the most beloved color during Holi.
- Yellow is the sacred colour of India.
- Blue is a symbol of courage, love, calm, and serenity.
- Green holds the essence of energy, new beginnings, harvest, and hope in Hindu culture.
- Pink is a favorite colour for girls and women, and it is seen as the most attractive and energetic color.
- In Hinduism, the colour orange symbolises the sacral chakra, the energy center related to sexuality and self-awareness.
- Purple is always connected to royalty, wealth, and power in India.
Thankfully, I was prewarned to join in the festivities by wearing budget sunglasses to protect my eyes, and old garments that I didn’t mind getting stained with colours. Lucky, I also managed to narrowly avoid wearing the Sequin Rainbow Skirt I was told all first-time Ministry of Colours employees must wear… I did settle with a Leis, however. I instantly saw that Holi is a time to let go of inhibitions and within the first few minutes of opening, I was covered from head to toe in colours. Mostly purple, which must have been a mistake as my attributes don’t tend to signify royalty, wealth and power. I then got to tuck into some traditional sweets like gujiyas and thandai that are also enjoyed during this festive occasion. These delicious treats will certainly be making their way onto my shopping list in the near future.
Ministry of Colours in the News
In the two months since the launch of the new Ministry of Colours website and colour powder products we've been had some great interest from the regional and national press.
We've had a lovely article written for us by the Huddersfield Examiner. You can read the full article online on their website
How Much Colour Powder Do I Need?
What is Holi Festival? – The Top 10 questions on Google answered by our experts
- What is Holi Festival? Holi is a Hindu spring festival originally celebrated across India and Nepal. As Hinduism has spread across the globe, so has the Holi Festival. Also called the Festival of Colours, events are normally held around the start of March each year to celebrate the coming of spring.
- When is the Holi Festival in 2018? Holi Festival takes place around March 2nd 2018. Colourful events will take place globally around this time. The 2019 date is March 21.
- Why is colour powder used as part of the Holi Festival of Colours? The clue is in the name. Thought originally to be part of banishing away the winter blues and celebrating the start of spring, the throwing of colour powder has become synonymous with Holi festivities.
- What is Holi colour powder made from? Originally pigment made from natural plant-based dyes like turmeric was mixed with corn starch to create the dried colour powder. Now a global phenomenon, the demand for colour powder means that modern manufacturing processes have been introduced to meet stringent safety standards and vast quantities required. We alone sold 60 tonnes of colour powder in 2016.
- How do I make my own Holi powder? There’s no secret recipe, it’s just corn starch and coloured dye. However, recent times have brought about strict control over the production and use of Holi colour powder, especially for events held in the UK. Ministry of Colours hold EN71 certification for our colour powders.
- What do I need to run a Holi event? The rule of thumb is anything colourful will work. You don't need a huge, organised event to celebrate Holi - gather your friends and family together and play Holi at home with our colour powder. Remember we are blowing away the winter cobwebs here, so the brighter the better. Alongside the obvious colour powder, you could perhaps look at introducing some modern touches with neon sunglasses, leis and colour hand cannons?
- What colours can I get the colour powder in? Traditionally the colours of powder were restricted to what could be produced with natural dyes. With the introduction of modern manufacturing processes the range of available colours has grown to include pretty much every colour of the rainbow.
- How do I clean colour powder off my clothes? The straight forward answer is you can’t 100% guarantee clean clothes after attending a Holi colour powder event. Perhaps wear clothes that you don’t mind a stain or two on? Many people wear white t-shirts to colour powder events, and use their clothes as a blank canvas upon which they can paint with the colour powder.
- Can you get colour powder off the floor? If you are running an event, it’s best to make sure you have a clean-up plan in place. The powder will leave a temporary stain on surfaces, but it does disappear in time. Mother nature is the best cleaner, with a good rain shower cleaning pretty much everything away. Perhaps you could consider covering the floor with a plastic sheet where you think intensive colour throwing will take place? We have also heard of event organisers hiring leaf blowers to collect together the bulk of the post event powder.
- Can I use the Holi colour powder inside? Remember you will need to clean up the mess, perhaps it’s best your colour powder is thrown outside? There are also doubts over the safety of some coloured powder brands when brought into contact with live electricity.
Party Safely! - Tips to make sure your colour event goes without a hitch
Here at the Ministry of Colours we are keen for everyone to have a fun time at their colour event, that’s what we are all about. However, we are also mindful of the importance of safety when running an event which might include hundreds of people. So, bearing that in mind, here is some advice based on our 10+ years in the field.
- Our first tip would be always to buy your colour powders from a reputable source and use it in a well ventilated area – usually outdoors. Our colour powder is very safe as it is non-toxic and made from natural ingredients. It’s very unlikely to irritate and is not harmful to the environment.
- Eye protection. Most people won’t be adversely affected by our powder but anything can occasionally cause eye irritation, so have some brightly coloured sunglasses or a visor on offer to add to the fun and give added protection. These are incredibly popular accessories, the kids especially love them.
- Protect clothing; offer participants a plain white t-shirt. Not only will this save their clothes but everyone will have a brightly coloured reminder of your event. Be prepared with plenty of these in different sizes. And remember to tell everyone that our colours will wash out!
- Provide access to plenty of water, or drinking and for rinsing. Most people will at least want to wash their hands after the event.
- After the event when it’s time to clean up then we recommend you sweep up first, this will remove most of the residue. Then simply wash away with water. Or wait for Mother Nature to do it for you...
Party safely!