96
lodhs, ahirs, muraos, barbers, baris, kalwars and
fakirs generally smoke ganja and charas in propor-
tion of, say, 80 and 50 per cent., respectively, of
male adults ; and chhatris, khatris, banias, kayasths
and sonars in proportion of 20 per cent. ganja and 15
per cent. charas.
21. Nobody likes chur. People like kali (round
ganja). Towards Fyzabad, Benares and Patna, ba-
luchar ganja is preferred, and in Khiri district,
pathar ganja, which comes from Gwalior, Atari,
and Khandwa.
22. Foreign charas, called bhuri, which is im-
ported from Yarkand into Punjab (Amritsar, Man-
di and Chhaoni Mian Mir from the shop of Basan-
tamul, Kedarnath).
23. Never.
24. All classes drink bhang in proportion of, say,
40 per cent. male adults, and eat in form of pills
called gur bhanga 3 per cent. and majun 50 per
cent. during Holi festival only; but in Mathra,
where Choubes are addicted to bhang, I should say
95 or 100 per cent. male and 30 per cent. women
and 40 per cent. children. I heard Choubes relating
or reciting proverbs.
(1) Mahadeva said to Parbati, hear unto me. It
is not advisable to give bhang to ganwars or to boys
and old men, but to male adults only, who, if they
drink, they would be able to pluck out the elephant's
tooth.
(2) Morning drink at an early hour when cock
crows is excellent as he would enjoy the king's life
—meaning make you as happy as a king.
25. So far as I am able to obtain information
from drug farmers' karindas, the use of ganja is on
the decrease, that of charas is on the increase, and
that of bhang stationary ; but I cannot readily
accept this without having some glance of the
statistics, which are not available to me.
26. (a) Sixty per cent. of bhang consumers.
(b) Fifteen per cent.
(c) Fifteen per cent.
(d) Ten per cent.
27. In high castes Brahmans, gungaputras
chhatris, kshatris, and banias, and in other castes
gosains, fakirs, sunars, thatheras, lohars, badhayis
(carpenters), baris, and barbers.
In my opinion half high castes take it, as they
are interdicted from taking sprits. They believe it
gives them sustaining-power. Sri Mahadeva took
this drug and recommended it to the lower classes,
because it is cheap and more easily procured than
spirits.
28.
(a)
(b)
Dose of bhang.
Of charas.
1 tola and below.
1 masha.
1 chittack and below. 2 mashas.
Of ganja.
2 mashas.
3 mashas.
This information I obtained from the thekadar's
karinda. Bhang drinkers drink twice a day, morn-
ing and evening; but charas and ganja smokers
five or six times a day.
Cost is variable according to lease money which
farmers have to pay to Government. Their rates
to the public is 4 annas per seer bhang, 3 annas per
ola charas, 9 pie per tola ganja. Cost per diem on
current rates :
Of bhang.
Moderate, 2 tolas 1½ pie.
Excessive, 2 chittacks
6 pies.
Of charas.
6 m.
12 m.
A.
1
3
P.
6
0
Of ganja.
12 m.
18 m.
A.
0
1
P.
9
1 ½
29. I know not of any ingredients to be mixed
with ganja and charas, but the habitual excessive
consumers sometimes mix dhatura with bhang to
bring on more intoxication. Black pepper, aniseeds,
and cardamoms are generally used in preparation of
bhang drinking. Some men mix ginger with bhang,
which they drink to prevent badi (wind). Some
put copper pice, jhardar, while preparing ghi from
bhang to make it more strong for the purposes of
majun. Bhang massala is called thandhai,* which
is commonly sold for the purpose of being mixed
with bhang. The ingredients are—kahu† rose
leaves, khurfa,‡ kakri,§ khira,|| and kadu¶ seeds,
and black pepper.
30. Bhang drinking is practised generally in
company and seldom in solitude, and is mainly con-
fined to the male sex. Children never consume
bhang, except the Mathura Chaubes' children.
The same practice applies to ganja and charas,
that no children smoke either of these drugs, except
men adults.
31. Yes, very easily. The principle of bhang
consumer is " chillu chillu sadhai" —meaning to in-
crease by handfuls. But once the habit is formed,
it is difficult to break off voluntarily. In many
cases I have personally seen most persons of moder-
ate habit to develop into the excessive when they
feel that that quantity is not sufficient for their in-
toxication. The same is the case with ganja and
charas smokers.
32. During Holi festival and in marriages it is
a social custom to drink bhang. The bride's father,
as a rule, sends bhang and sugar to the bride-
groom's party. But there is no religious obliga-
tion on his part to do so, nor is there religious obliga-
tion to drink bhang or use its preparation during
Holi festival. People regard it as essential in con-
nection with the aforesaid custom. It is generally
temperate. It does not lead to the formation of
the habit.
33. (a) All bhang drinkers, when they are above
the moderate habits, are called bhangaris and looked
upon with certain amount of contempt. The same
case is with other drug consumers. They are called
opinion eaters, ganja smokers, and then all those
are called nashabaz also.
(b) In excess public opinion is against it, as it
leads to excessive intoxication, etc.
(c) It is not only custom, but part of reli-
gion, to worship Mahadeva on Shivratri with bhang;
but I never heard of any man worshipping the
hemp plant itself on any occasions, except that,
when bhang drinkers prepare bhang, they read
something before they drink, meaning, " for accom-
plishment thou art like Ganesh, for intellect like
Bramha, for wit and cleverness like Saraswati
(goddess), for retard of semen discharge like opium,
* NOTE. — Thandai means a cooling medicine or drink.
† A vegetable, the seeds of which are held good for cold-lettuce.
‡ Purslane.
¶ An inferior kind of cucumber.
||Cucumis sativus.
¶ Pumpkin.