Natural dyes are gaining renewed attention following the worldwide ban on the use of synthetic dyes. The natural dye industry had nearly vanished by the middle of the 19th century and since then has remained only in a few pockets across select States in the country. The use of synthetic dyes is associated with high environmental pollution and health risks for those handling harmful substances. As awareness of these risks grows, consumers are increasingly shifting towards natural products.
The demand for research in the natural dye industry led to the setting up of the country’s premier research institute on dyes — the Natural Dye Processing and Incubation Centre (NDPIC), under the Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) — to come up in Hyderabad.
In 2016, the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) sponsored a project titled “Biodegradable ecopaint production for idol painting with natural dyes on large scale” with an outlay of ₹1 crore. The project enabled PJTSAU to establish a large-scale natural-dye paint production unit, the first of its kind in India, with a production capacity of two tonnes of paint a day.
The same premises also house the production of another promising technology developed by PJTSAU — ‘Eco-Holi’ powders. The technologies for Eco Paints for Clay Ganesha idols and Eco-Holi powders were developed by the College of Home Science, Hyderabad.
An incubation unit here also helps weavers, artisans and entrepreneurs by providing training and access to its facilities for production and pilot-scale development of new products.
Festival fun
The ‘ecopaint’ production seeks to provide a safer alternative to synthetic colours used to paint Ganesha idols during festivals.
When the idols are immersed in water bodies at the end of the festivities, the biodegradable paint does not have a negative impact as the synthetic dyes, which may contain toxic substances, including heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead. These heavy metals have a devastating impact on human health when they enter water bodies.
Similarly, the eco-friendly Holi powders are also made keeping health and safety in mind.
The goal, therefore, is to ensure that faith and celebration do not come at the cost of the environment and health. Natural dyes and biodegradable colours offer a way to reduce the environmental impact of idol painting while retaining the vibrancy associated with the festival.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Hands at work: An artisan applies a orange-yellow coat of paint to a clay Ganesha idol at the PJTSAU centre.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Nature’s palette: Sappan heartwood, a natural source of pigment, used to make paint.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Getting it right: Sappan heartwood is boiled in water to extract its natural pigment, which is later used to prepare paint for the idols.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
The colour shelf: A palette of natural dye sources and products decorated with biodegradable paints at PJTSAU’s Natural Dye Processing and Incubation Centre, Hyderabad.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Step by step: Natural dye is extracted from boiled sappan heartwood and used as a colouring agent in paint-making.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Against the rules: An artisan from Bihar works on a large Plaster of Paris (PoP) Maha Ganapati idol at a famous idol-making unit in Dhoolpet, Hyderabad. Despite repeated Telangana High Court directives to use eco-friendly clay, many artisans continue crafting of PoP idols due to high demand.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
From lab to craft: An artisan preparing the paint to load the spray gun and paint the idol.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Final strokes: A student and a staff member apply the finishing touches on a clay Ganesha idol.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Ready in colour: An artisan prepares natural-dye paint.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Brushwork begins: An artisan hard at work on the Ganesha idols.
Photo:
Nagara Gopal
Ready to go: Finished clay Ganesha idols await packing to be despatched for sale.
Published – August 16, 2026 08:15 am IST
