Organic Muruja of Different Colours Can be Made at Home

Bhubaneswar: Colourful traditional designs come alive near holy Tulsi Chaura at all Odia households and temples during Panchaka (Panchuka), the last five days of the holy month of Kartik. These traditional ritualistic designs are drawn with muruja.

Now we buy up muruja from the market. At times the muruja bought from market may contain synthetic colours. But the traditional muruja was always organic in nature. We Odias promoted organic colours through our muruja tradition. Let us know what the traditional organic muruja of Odias was made of. Earlier organic muruja of different colours was being prepared at home.

White muruja powder is traditionally obtained from powdered limestone, chalk, or rice. It is the base of all other colours of muruja.

Burnt coconut shells were used to obtain the black colour muruja.

Muruja got its green colour from powder of dried up leaves.

Yellow colour muruja was prepared from powder of marigold flowers or turmeric powder.

To obtain red and pink colour, vermilion was mixed to white muruja.

For blue colour natural indigo powder was added to white muruja.

Before the start of Panchaka, in all Odia homes women used to prepare muruja of different colours. It is time for us to relive this rich artistic heritage and be proud of our organic colour tradition.