PATNA: Although the demand for herbal Holi colours has risen, Patna has few shops that stock these kind of colours. In fact, most prominent departmental stores continue to sell only chemical gulals and wet colours.
The proprietor of a popular departmental store on Boring Road said he had only the "normal" kind of gulal. "People are asking for herbal gulal but I think herbal colours are sold exclusively and not marketed like other products," he said.
However, customers buying colours said they would be inclined to buy safe colours if these were available. Avantika Roy, a mother of school-going children, said: "The ordinary gulals are very unsafe.
But I cannot stop my children from playing with colours. If herbal colours were available, I would definitely have purchased them even if these were more expensive."
In New Market, several shops sell gulal and other Holi colours at wholesale rates. But herbal colours are not available any where. Raju, a shopkeeper said, "I have the best quality gulal which will not cause any reaction."
