Sambalpur: Holi Colors to Be Made from Temple Flowers; ‘Samalei Agarbatti’ Workers Unpaid for 5 Months
Sambalpur’s ‘Samalei Agarbatti’ Project Expands
Sambalpur: Sambalpur’s ‘Samalei Agarbatti’ project, constructed with the assistance of Western Odisha Development Council’s grant funds, is now set to manufacture natural colors (phagu) from used temple flowers. Municipal Commissioner Vedbhushan announced that preparations for this initiative are complete, and production will begin soon, especially for the upcoming Holi festival. If successful, this unit will also produce other essential items along with incense sticks and natural colors.
Recycling Temple Flowers for Sustainable Products
Previously, flowers offered to Goddess Samalei and other deities were discarded. However, the project now collects these flowers, dries them, grinds them into powder, and uses them to make incense sticks. Essential oils and fragrances are added to create high-quality agarbattis.
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Fire Incident and Production Restart
The project faced a setback when a fire accident destroyed the entire unit at the Dhankauda Swadhar Gruha premises. As a result, production was halted for nearly two months. However, after necessary repairs, the unit has resumed its operations. Currently, five Swadhar Gruha residents and five members from the Punam Self-Help Group are engaged in making incense sticks.
High Cost and Unpaid Wages
Despite the initiative’s efforts, the incense sticks produced here are more expensive compared to other brands, which has affected sales. Additionally, workers have not received their salaries for the past five months, leading to dissatisfaction among the women involved in the project.
