Karnataka is giving a supari for toxic chemical dyes

Farmers in Karnataka who grow the red areca nut or supari could be sitting on a fortune.

- Deepthi Sanjiv

The nut is chewed wrapped in betel leaf, and spat out when it becomes a reddish-brown mulch in the mouth. But experts say its stubborn stains could become a natural dye if the areca slurry or ‘chogaru’ is used wisely.

Dr Geeta Mahale, professor emeritus in the department of textile and apparel designing at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad, is the pre-eminent expert on areca dyes. She has used areca slurry to dye cotton, silk and wool. “We can get beautiful shades of brown and onion pink,” she says.

Mahale’s research on areca dyes started from a commonplace sight. In 1996, she was in Sirsi, which is famous for its areca nut, and people were spitting areca juice on the road. “It was the colour that caught my eye. Though it had rained, I noticed the areca stains on the road were intact.”

She bought areca slurry from farmers in Sirsi and took it to the university. “The following year, as part of a project, we tried using the slurry in a variety of ways, for printing, painting and as a powder.” They gave away skin-friendly Holi colours made from areca and marigold flowers to schoolchildren. A framed areca juice painting from that time still exists, she says.