Adsorption of crystal violet (CV) in aqueous solution on commercial activated carbon (CAC) and activated carbon obtained from Syzygium cumini seed (SCSC) have been studied comparatively. The effect of various experimental parameters has been investigated using a batch adsorption technique to obtain information on treating effluents from the dye industry. The extent of dye removal increased with decrease in the initial concentration of the dye and increased with increase in contact time, amount of adsorbent used and the initial pH of the dye solution. Adsorption data were modeled using the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms and first order kinetic equations. The kinetics of adsorption was found to be first order with regard to intra-particle diffusion as rate determining step. The adsorption capacities of dyes have been compared. The results indicate that Syzygium cumini seed carbon can be used in wastewater treatment for the removal of colors and dyes.