page_title: Muʽassel
section_title: India
hierarchical_section_title: Muʽassel / Culture / South Asia / India
caption_attribution_description: English: The intricate work on the Malabar Hookah from Koyilandy
context_page_description: Muʽassel, or maassel, is a syrupy tobacco mix containing molasses, vegetable glycerol and various flavourings which is smoked in a hookah, a type of waterpipe. It is also known as "shisha" in Canada, USA, Brazil, Europe and the Middle East.
  Argilah or Argileh, and shisha or sheesha, is the common term for the hookah itself in the Arab world.
context_section_description: The concept of hookah is thought to have originated in India once the province of the wealthy, it was tremendously popular especially during Mughal rule. The hookah has since become less popular; however, it is once again garnering the attention of the masses, and cafés and restaurants that offer it as a consumable are popular. The use of hookahs from ancient times in India was not only a custom, but a matter of prestige. Rich and landed classes would smoke hookahs.
  Tobacco is smoked in hookahs in many villages as per traditional customs.  Smoking a tobacco-molasses shisha is now becoming popular amongst the youth in India. There are several chain clubs, bars and coffee shops in India offering a wider variety of mu‘assels, including non-tobacco versions.  Hookah was recently banned  in Bangalore. However it can be bought or rented for personal usage or organised parties only.
  Koyilandy, a small fishing town on the west coast of India, once made and exported hookahs extensively. These are known as Malabar Hookhas or Koyilandy Hookahs. Today these intricate hookahs are difficult to find outside of Koyilandy and not much easier to find in Koyilandy itself.
  As hookah makes a resurgence in India, there have been numerous raids and bans recently on hookah smoking, especially in Gujarat
caption: The intricate work on a Malabar Hookah
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