7
astonished at the result of the rough census of
smokers and drinkers throughout the district,
which gave a total of only 6,429, or about .7 per
cent. of the population. On comparing this
result, however, with the retail consumption,
which last year reached an average of only 1,760
toles per day, I am not inclined to think that my
census is very far from correct.
28. The common weight used for petty sale is
the old copper coin, the Shivrai, the average weight
of which is 135 grains or three-fourths of a tola.
A man who does not smoke more than this
quantity (which costs one pice) per day, is classed
as a moderate consumer. But many make this
quantity last three or four or more days. An
excessive smoker uses from half anna to four
annas worth per day, but there are men who can
smoke any quantity.
29. Smoking ganja.— The ganja is taken in the
palm of the hand and washed and kneaded in a
dozen or more changes of water. After the final
squeeze it is mixed with about a third of its
quantity of dry tobacco, and placed in the chillum ,
with a lighted lump of cowdung or charcoal atop.
As seen by me, the chillum was a conical bowl of
clay about eight inches long. A piece of damp
rag was placed round the lower aperture, the
c hillum was held in both hands, clasped so as to
be air-tight, and the smoke was sucked between
the thumbs. The chillum was passed from hand
to hand after two or three whiffs, and the form
of rinsing the rag in water was generally gone
through as a preliminary by each smoker.
Drinking ganja a or bhang. Receipts for ghota.
— (1) One tola ganja or bhang fried in ghi ; half
tola pepper ; half tola dry ginger. Soak in water
and pound well, mix with two seers of milk and
two seers of water. Shake and mix thoroughly
and pour from pot to pot.
(2) Soak the drug in water for a few hours,
then pound and strain through cloth. Add milk,
sugarcandy, pepper, almonds, kismis and spices to
taste.
Eating th e same.— (1) Grind to powder and
mix a little ganja or bhang, sugarcandy, almonds,
and kismis. Mix with the milk and bake over a
slow fire till solid.
(2) Dry ganja is thoroughly washed and then
mixed with ghi in the proportion of four seers of
ganja to one seer of ghi. The mixture is boiled
continuously for three or four days, water being
added from time to time to prevent scorching.
The ghi eventually becomes green. It is then
filtered and allowed to stand till congealed. The
congelation floats on the water and is skimmed.
The product is mixed with melted sugar in the
proportion of five tolas to four seers of sugar.
Spices are added to taste, and the preparation is
the base of majum, yakuti, gulkand, etc.
(3) The ganja is first cooked with water and
ghi for two or three days continuously, and the
extract is passed through a thin cloth. To make
one seer of majum, 1/8t o
1 / 4
s e e r o f g a n j a , 1 / 1 6 s e e r o f
ghi and 1 seer sugar are required. The extract
when cooked up with more sugar, forms the
simple majum.
(4) Yakuti.—1 seer of the above extract;1/8 seer
almonds ; 1 tola cardamoms or nutmeg ; 1/4 t o l a
saffron ; 1/16 seer pistachio ; 1/16 seer charuli.
(5) Gulkand.— Fresh rose leaves are squeezed
in the hand and mixed with sugar-candy. The
mixture is kept in corked bottles or jars for three
or four months, when it forms a thick paste,
which is added to simple majum.
(6) Shrikand .—Sugar and jagri are cooked
together into a paste and added to simple majum.
Some well-to-do persons have their majum
prepared according to their private recipes, with
the addition of salammisri and similar good
things. As to the quantity of these preparations
that can be taken, it is said that ten tolas of
ghota is enough for a casual drink but habitues
can consume a seer without difficulty. Common
majum is sold at 4 pies per tola, the consumption
per individual varying from 1 to 20 tolas per diem.
Dhatura, except for purposes of crime, is only
used by the most reckless habitués, such men as eat
opium and arsenic into the bargain, to keep them-
selves going. The object of the other admixtures
seems to be to drown the nasty taste of ganja.
The only bhang massala traced locally is a horse
medicine.
30. As to smoking, the ordinary smoker would
prefer to smoke alone, unless there happened to be
other smokers to pass the pipe to. The preparation
of the pipe is a messy business, the practice is not
considered nice, and the effects, except upon habitues,
are not conducive to sociality. The practice is
chiefly confined to the male sex, is often acquired
at the age of 15 and carried on through life.
Ghota drinking is more of a social custom.
Children only get the drug medicinally.
31. The habit is easily formed. Opinions differ
as to the difficulty of breaking it off. Apparently
it is easy if a man makes up his mind to it; but old
confirmed smokers are fit for nothing without it.
The number of excessive users is comparatively so
small that the tendency does not appear to be
strong.
32. A reliable witness states that among Mar-
waris the use of ghota and majum is common on
religious and festive occasions, such as marriage, a
birth, recovery from illness, or after a fast. It is
offered to guests, who take it or not as they feel
inclined. The use on such occasions is generally
temperate ; but inveterate users take advantage of
the chance of a good pull.
Searching the Nagar volume (XVII) of the
Bombay Gazetteer, I find no reference to the use of
the drug as part of any social or religious ceremony.
The shop accounts show no extra sale in the neigh-
bourhood of any great religious festival, and the
custom of use on the Shivaratra is not observed
locally nor considered essential.
33. The practice of smoking is considered some-
what discreditable. As far as religion is con-
cerned, the drug has the advantage of not being
proscribed like liquor. I should, therefore, attri-
bute any adverse sentiment to the same feeling
that exists against any habit that is liable to be-
come debasing by abu s e, and the people of this
district are distinguished for their sober habits.
There is no custom of worship. The usual co-
coanut is broken for luck at harvest, and some-
times incense is burnt and red lead sprinkled with
the same object.
34. The obvious answer appears to be that the
privation would at least equal that to be under-
gone by habitués of tobacco, opium or liquor if
deprived of their means of enjoyment. In the
case of the poorer classes the privation would be
serious, as the drug is used to allay fatigue and
appease hunger. This would especially be the case
with fakirs, gosávis and other ascetics, to whom
t he drug represents the " Welshman's pipe."
About 50 per cent. of this class would suffer very
severely, as they could afford no substitute of
equal effect.