Towards an eco-friendly Holi: famed brass pitchkaris of Moradabad making a comeback

Holi, the festival of colours is often marred with the use of toxic artificial colours and plastic pitchkaris which harm the environment. However, this year the famed brass pitchkaris of Moradabad are making a comeback as they are in high demand.

Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh): The joys and festivities of Holi are often marred by the harmful effects of artificial colours and the use of plastic pitcthkaris containing chemicals harmful to the environment. But this year ahead of Holi tradition is turning the table on modernity as far as pitchkaris are concerned.

Earlier the site of broken plastic pitchkaris littering the roads and piling up in dustbins after Holi used to be a common site across the country. But now the age-old tradition of using brass pitchkaris is making a comeback in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh. The sellers of these eco-friendly instruments of festivities are joyed that people are shunning plastic pitchkaris and are thronging to their shops to buy brass pitchkaris.

The brass shops in the Naveen Nagar, Hartala, Gurhatti, as well as Mandi Chawk, are buzzing with customers. Explaining the reason behind the high demand one shopowner said that now people are keen on buying locally made eco-friendly brass pitchkaris than Chinese-made plastic ones which cause environmental damage. He also said that not only are brass pitchkaries more sturdy than their Chinese counterparts they also rarely break down.

" Even if the brass pitchkaries become completely useless, they can be sold at a good price as scrap," said the shopkeeper. Making an interesting observation on the craze over brass pitchkaris, the shopkeeper said that following the Covid-19 pandemic, people have become averse to buying Chinese products and have embraced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call of being "vocal for local."

The high demand for brass pitchkaries has pushed the price up by 15 per cent. Such brass pitchkaris range from Rs 670 to Rs 2000. Not only are they in high demand in the country but are also sought after in the US, Malaysia and Singapore.

Alongside brass, silver pitchkaris and miniature buckets which are mainly used in religious rituals are also in high demand. Vinod Maheshwari of Vinod Jewellers said that the silver pitchkaris are also used as traditional gifts to newlywed couples and their prices range from Rs 2000 to Rs 12000.