53
into bundles, which are placed one over the other,
and when dried are ready for use.
Flat ganja.—Stems are tied together by their
ends and placed across a bamboo, and exposed to
the sun in the afternoon. The non-flower-bearing
portions are cut off and rejected ; at night the
flowering beads are laid on grass, and left in the
night to the influence of dew. A number of men
then tread, stamp, and press them down with
their feet. Mats are then placed over the stock,
on which one or two men sit down and remain
about half an hour. After this each twig is
trodden. When the resin and flowers are firmly
consolidated into flat patches near apex of the
twigs, they are then dried.
Round ganja.—The twigs are placed in a
straight line and trodden, and below a bamboo bar
on which the men rest their arms to support them
while treading. They then roll twig by twig so
as to force the resinous matter into the form of a
thin sausage shape ; when loose, the resin is
pressed into the desired form by fingers.
Baluchur ganja.—When the flat and round ganja
are baled, some loose particles of resinous matter
fall off. These particles are called chur or balu
chur ganja.
Charas.—The resinous substance collected from
the leaves and flowers of ganja is called charas.
In Nepal and Sind charas is said to be collected
by means of leather coats worn by men who run
about among the plants. The charas thus col
lected is scraped off and made into cakes in which
it is sold. The garda charas is obtained from
bhang in Punjab.
Bhang.—Consists of the mature leaves of the
plant, which is cut by the sickle, dried, and
trodden by bullocks and threshed and seeds
separated, though not completely.
16. No, not in houses. It can be prepared
largely from the wild plant in Terai, but such is
generally not the case with ganja and charas.
17. By cultivators.
18. Bahraich bhang and Khandwa ganja de
teriorate by keeping after two years, and charas
after three years, and Sitapur and Antri ganja
after a year, when the red romas fall off.
Bhang leaves become like dust and lose their
effect after a year. Dampness is said to be the
cause.
19. Yes, only for smoking.
20. Ganja and charas are smoked by (1) mendi
cants, say 90 per cent. ; (2) by their followers,
55 per cent. ; and (3) low classes, kunbis, katchis,
kahars, dhobis, kumhars, chamars, barbers,
Beldars, etc., 10 per cent. ; (4) other Hindus and
Muhammadans, 5 per cent., all over the North-
Western Provinces and Oudh.
21. Baluchur ganja is considered more power
ful than the round, flat, and puthar ganja, and is
preferred for smoking. Puthar ganja is inferior
in quality. In Jalaun district only puthar ganja
is imported from Antri, Sitapur, and Khandwa,
and is used.
22. Foreign charas is chiefly used. It is im
ported by Cabuli merchants or a group of Afghans
from Yarkand or Ladak, Kashmir or Bokhara.
There is also a kind of charas, known as Sahrjahan
or Momea, and is imported from Nepal.
23. No ; it is not used for smoking. Its
poultice is used in piles.
24. In the North-Western Provinces and Oudh
bhang is drunk especially by the high caste
Hindus, Brahmins, Chattris, Khatris, Bunnias,
say 10 per cent. (but 90 per cent. during the Holi
and Shivburt festivals, and in Bengal during the
Durga Puja festival). It is not much eaten in
the shape of majum (sweetmeat) except during
the Holi festival. The Chaubes of the Muthra
district drink it much, say 90 per cent.
25. Decrease, because some of the people have
taken to drink liquor.
26.
27.
28.
Ganja.—(a) say 10 per cent.
(b) say 10 per cent.
(c) say 7 per cent.
(d) say 3 per cent.
Charas.—(a) 3 per cent.
(b) 3 per cent.
(c) 2 per cent.
(d) 2 per cent.
Bhang.—(a) 2 per cent.
(b) 2 per cent.
(c) 5 per cent.
(d) 1 per cent.
See answers to questions 20 and 24.
Charas.—(a) 3 pies per diem.
(b) 6 pies do.
Ganja.—(a) 6 pies per diem.
(b) 1 anna do.
Bhang, including ingredients,—
(a) 3 pies.
(b) 6 pies.
29. Charas.—Smoking and dry tobacco are
ordinarily mixed, and ganja exceptionally, when
the quantity of charas is considered less by the
smoker. This is called ganja-jamni.
Ganja.—Dry and smoking tobacco are ordinari
ly mixed. In both cases dry tobacco is mixed to
make the dose strong, and smoking tobacco partly
for the taste and partly to keep the dry tobacco
and ganja intact. No dhatura is mixed.
Bhang.—As a drink (a) pepper, almonds, carda
mom (to remove flatulency), aniseed and rose
leaves (to make it laxative), and sugar (for taste)
are ordinarily mixed, and well-to-do people mix
milk, and in the cold weather also musk, zafran
(saffron) and jawtri, and in rainy season parched
mango juice, salt, zera (cummin) according to the
drinker's taste. Poor classes add only pepper and
aniseed ; dhatura is rarely mixed.
Bhang massala is sold in the bazar in the hot
season, and it consists of the under-mentioned in
gredients :—Khira and kukri (cucumber) seeds,
kahú, kulfa, kaddu, rose flower leaves, aniseed,
ilachies.
The bhang as a drink is prepared in the following
way :—The leaves are rinsed in three or four waters
to remove impurities and seeds, and are then mixed
with the above-mentioned ingredients. They are
ground fine and steeped in water. The liquor is
then strained off and drunk. I know the follow
ing proverbs which are often recited by some of
the drinkers at the time of drinking the bever
age :—
Translation.—Having purchased buti worth ½ a
pice, pepper valued at ⅛ of a pice, and ingredients
worth a pice, rubbed them well and made into a
ball. Bring a new piece of cloth and strain it
carefully and patiently. Whoever will drink it
will repeat the name of Har in intoxication.
Translation—May it produce such intoxication