Holi festivities will include herbal Gulal prepared by jail inmates for the Rangotsav of Braj. Six jail inmates have prepared this herbal Gulal which besides being eco-friendly will also be skin-friendly.
The initiative is aimed at making jail inmates Atmanirbhar through skill development by the jail administration in Mathura.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, it was revealed that this herbal Gulal is being prepared by using vegetables. The green pigment is obtained by extracting it from spinach. The yellow gulal is prepared by adding Haldi (turmeric). To make it smell sweet, fragrance is added to it.
“This is an exercise undertaken each year and we get quintals of Gulal prepared by jail inmates. The inmates involved are Sonu, Sunny, Rinku, Ashraf, Vijay and Harendra. Holi is an extensively celebrated festival for 40 days. Basant Panchami marks the beginning of Holi by playing Gulal,” said Brajesh Kumar Singh, jail superintendent, Mathura jail.
“We have made arrangements to get this Gulal prepared by jail inmates available to the masses. The cost of preparing this Gulal comes to ₹180 per kilogram and will be sold at ₹200 per kilogram. Packets of this Gulal will be available at main gate of the District Jail. This engagement will make the inmates self-reliant and will assist them in returning to the mainstream of society once released,” Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}“We have made arrangements to get this Gulal prepared by jail inmates available to the masses. The cost of preparing this Gulal comes to ₹180 per kilogram and will be sold at ₹200 per kilogram. Packets of this Gulal will be available at main gate of the District Jail. This engagement will make the inmates self-reliant and will assist them in returning to the mainstream of society once released,” Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}This is not the first initiative of creativity on part of jail inmates who in past have prepared Poshaak (dress) for Lord Krishna on Janmasthami, prepare eco-friendly Rakhi as part of skill development programme of Uttar Pradesh government at this District Jail of Mathura. The jail has 1,700 inmates involved in the exercise aimed at Atmanirbharta (self reliance).