As the festival of colors Holi is just around the corner, shops at every nooks and corners of Kathmandu are adorned with various Holi items including different colors, water guns and water balloons. The influx of people at the market areas has also increased to shop for the festival.
Asan is one of the most crowded and oldest markets in Kathmandu. Govinda Shrestha, 53, is a veteran vendor at Asan. His shop that sells Holi accessories was handed down to Shrestha by his forefathers. He recalled the days when his forefathers used to sell red vermillion powder and water guns made of bamboos for Holi. “Now, the time has changed due to the advancement in technology. Even the water guns are available in plastic and carry several features. We also have canned color sprays,” he said.
These days, plain white t-shirts and white tees with ‘Happy Holi’ printed on them are on high demand. He said, “Such t-shirts are available at Rs 200 at my shop.” Similarly, Sharmila Shahi, 35, has been selling Holi accessories at Asan for more than a decade. She said, “It’s been around 20 years that I’ve been selling Holi items. Earlier, people only asked for red and yellow vermilion powder. But these days, a variety of colors as well as chemical are available in the market for Holi.”
She added, “The business is the going well though the prices have become high as most Holi items are imported from India and China.” At Shahi’s stall, the price of natural colors range between Rs 150 and Rs 300, while water guns range between Rs 30 and Rs 550.
Asan: An ancient trading hub of Kathmandu (with photos)
Likewise, Geeta Khadka, 50, another seller having 30 years of experience in selling Holi products said, “I have added various items this year as per the people’s demand. As traders, we have to adopt with the new and changing cultures.”
Twenty three-year-old Sujita Napit, a banker from Bhakatapur, was at Asan for her Holi shopping. She said, “I’m buying a plain white t-shirt for Holi because it’s trendy. Moreover, it looks artistic and beautiful when different colors get splashed on the white t-shirt.”
Easy ways to get holi colors off your clothes
The day after Holi is the toughest. Getting the stains off the floor, and off your skin and clothes is quite the nightmare. How do you do it, without breaking your back? If you wonder how to remove color stains from clothes then here are some tips for the same.
Bleach: If the clothes in question are white, simply soak them in hot water with non-chlorine bleach. Wash and dry them separately to prevent the color from leeching on to other clothes.
White vinegar: Add half a cup of white vinegar and one teaspoon of washing powder to two-three liters of cold water. The acid does the trick here and pulls the color from your clothes.
Window cleaner: Yes, you read that right. But make sure you use a clear ammonia-based spray-on window cleaner. Spray the stain with the window cleaner and keep for about 15-20 minutes. Blot the stain with a clean cloth, rinse and wash like normal.
Lemon juice: The acidic nature of lemon helps remove the stain. Soak the stain in lemon juice for 15 minutes and scrub lightly with your hands. Wash as usual, but separately.
Methylated spirits (alcohol): Rub some alcohol (undiluted) on the stain and rinse thoroughly under running cold water. Wash as usual.
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