( Leaf of Cannabis plant )
SHODAAS (CHARAS ADDICTS) IN KASHMIR
In Kashmir , we had some Sadhus who lived in temples and became quite popular with local residents. Apart from caretaking , these Sadhus performed regular Puja at these temples and earned enormous goodwill and respect of locals with their simplicity , truthfulness, good conduct and dedication. . Most of them were from Southern parts of the country. The caretaker Sadhu of the Shiva Temple at Karapora Aabi, Rainawari (near the shrine of Miyan Shah Sahib ) from South India, was quite popular with the residents of the locality. He would daily perform Abhisheka of the deity and also do Puja and Aarti with great devotion, apart from keeping the temple premises clean and tidy. I have often seen him during evening hours
doing something unusual. He would go to the vacant land adjacent to the temple
and keep rubbing some wild green plants with his hands for hours. The resin of
the green leaves or soft branches would be transferred to a small container
after scrubbing it off his hands. Something dark, semi-solid ball not
bigger than a small pebble would be collected by him that he would keep in a
box inside his room in the temple complex. One day, my friend Tej Krishen Kaul
Kataal said this to me:-
“Swami Ji is a perfect gentleman, but he smokes locally extracted Charas in
his Chillum. He extracts Charas and Bhaang from the same plant. He makes Pakoras
of Bhaang leaves. He dries these leaves and crushes them to make a powder that
he consumes with milk. Swami Ji makes about 5 gm of Charas in six hours of hand
rubbing the plants. Sometimes, I too have some puffs from Swami Ji’s Chillum. I
keep laughing at everything after some puffs and also feel sleepy. I also talk too much. "
I have seen many people
behaving unusually after consuming Bhaang or smoking Charas. I knew a baker in
Rainawari who was addicted to Charas that he would procure from a shop on Red
Cross Road behind KMDA bus Adda in Srinagar. He would fill a small quantity of
Charas in his cigarette and smoke it, leaving a typical odour and dark blue
smoke for his customers. Many friends would say that he has 'opened his third
eye now, and his vision is clear' . He
would start chattering about irrelevant things with his customers for hours. He would laugh without purpose. Ghulam Nabi,
the driver living a little away from our house, was another Charas addict. He
would come to his home around 11 pm every day, crying and making a loud noise.
Sometimes, he would come singing loudly.
At the time of the Amar Nath Ji Yatra
in Kashmir, we would see all types of Aghori and Naga Sadhus smoking Charas.
These Sadhus would keep some wet cloth wrapped to the base of the Chillum, and
before starting their first puff, many among them would say,’Bum Bum Bhole. “or 'Jai Trilochana, Jai
Naagbhushana, Jai Aghori Baba “
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Though people are
abusing numerous prohibited substances, cannabis, heroin, Charas, and tobacco
are being sold as some of the most prevalent drugs in India, luring young minds
and making them fall prey to a disastrous epidemic. These harmful substances
are resulting in a potential threat to the health and social aspects of
families. Some years back, I saw many Bhaang shops operated by Government in the
UP State. In Mathura, I was told that Bhaang Pakoras and Bhaang Lassi are
easily available at some shops. Despite the prohibition, many people in India
continue to make and enjoy the Charas. Charas is an important cash crop for
many communities in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Sometimes referred to as the
"black gold" of the Himalayas, Charas has deep roots in herbalism and
religion. Charas has amassed serious levels of cultural capital, being
intertwined with religious and folkloric practices and rituals from the very
beginning. In America and Europe, the product used by addicts is known as
Marijuana, in North Africa as kief, in South Africa as dagga, and in Arabia and
Egypt as Hashish. While Hashish is made from a dead cannabis plant, Charas is
extracted from a live one.
CHARAS TAKIAS OF KASHMIR
Charas was consumed in
Kashmir by many, including Fakirs, religious men, Sadhus, saints and Darvesh
category individuals. It was easily available at some identified spots. People
would consume it in groups, too. In the olden days, Charas-Takia was a place for
group smoking. There were Charas Takias in Maisuma, Zainakadal, Rainawari,
Taashwan (Fateh Kadal), Zaaldagar, Safa Kadal, Batmaloo, Saraf Kadal,
Kalashpora, Narwara and many more places. The addict to Charas was known as
Shoda. At these Takias, Shodas would spend the whole day, pay some money to the
manager (Takiadaar) and listen to Sufiana Music, doing no other economic
activity. Every Takia was paying taxes to the government. Charas was also
consumed by singers and listeners in Mehfil e Sama. To grant some social
acceptance to Charas smoking, some Kashmiris would say, "charsi kabhi na
marsi " or 'a Charas addict never dies '. Charas smoking makes a man
short-tempered. Accordingly, a Short-tempered person was nicknamed ‘Shoda’ in
the Kashmiri society.
Kashmiris were also
using Bhaang. Powdered leaves of the Bhaang plant mixed with milk or water were
called Bhang-Sheera. Bhaang was used by some people in the olden days. Now
Bhaang consumption is nowhere to be seen in Kashmir and Takias of Shodas have
also been dismantled after 1947. But Charas consumption has spread to the
entire length and breadth of the Kashmir valley among the youth.
CHARAS AND GAANJA
Though charas, Gaanja
and Bhaang all are collected from the same plant, Cannabis Sativa, they are
different. Charas is made by rubbing the buds of the cannabis plant in your
hands while Bhaang is made by drying, grinding, and soaking the buds and leaves
of the Cannabis sativa plant. Unlike Charas, Bhaang is not used for smoking.
Charas (cannabis indica), Bhaang and Gaanja are narcotic drugs or
hallucinogenic products which are obtained from different parts of the Cannabis
sativa plant. They have sleep-inducing
properties and are highly addictive. Cannabis sativa is a hemp plant. Charas is
made from the resin of cannabis plants. It is obtained from the resinous
secretion from the flowering tops of female plants. Bhaang is an edible
preparation of cannabis which is used in food and drink, it is mixed with milk.
It is obtained from fresh and dried leaves and the flowering shoots of male and
female plants. Ganja is a Hindi name for hemp, which is also a preparation from
cannabis sativa. It is obtained from an unfertilised female inflorescence.
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Some years back, this
writer saw many Bhaang shops operated by Government in the UP State. In
Mathura, this author was told that Bhaang Pakoras are also available along with Bhaang
Lassi at some shops. Apart from Kashmir, Chars is also grown illegally in
Parvati Valley (Himachal Pradesh). Despite its illegality, charas has become
one of the dominant cash crops in both the Anantnag district (Kashmir) and the Parvati
Valley (H.P.)
Grown on a commercial
scale in the Anantnag district, many individuals have made a fortune from its
illegal sale, which has affected the social life and value system of the
society. It is sad to see that this addiction has become rampant among youth in
Kashmir at present. Day in and day out, we read in newspapers about police
parties seizing cannabis from vehicles or individuals in J&K. Hidden
skillfully, the Charas is illegally sent out of Kashmir like apples and other
fruits.
SOME
SERIOUS ILL EFFECTS OF CHARAS CONSUMPTION
In any case, Charas
doesn’t do well to any person in respect of their physical and mental health, apart from rendering addicts idle and incapable of performing gainful economic
activity. Consumption of Charas can have grave risks. Some people may get
anxious, paranoid, or have panic attacks, especially if they take too much.
Long-term use of Charas can cause mental health problems like sadness, anxiety
disorders, and memory loss. It also affects the cardiovascular system by
raising the heart rate and possibly causing lung problems, especially when
burned. Although it gives a false sense of well-being, Charas plays havoc with
memory and judgment. Our body shows signs of an allergy, a condition in which
the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. It creates
coordination problems and trouble walking actively.
According to the National Centre for Biotechnology
Information (NCBI), repeated abuse of Charas during teenage years may result in
long-lasting changes in brain function that can hinder educational,
professional, and social achievements. Charas abuse can make people experience
a combination of physical and mental effects, and the body experiences more
negative symptoms when used frequently. Sometimes people who are dependent upon
the regular use of Charas can get diagnosed with severe mental illness. Charas
addiction is a chronic disease and thus requires effective treatment.
SOME NEWS ITEMS RELATING TO THE SEIZURE OF CHARAS BY POLICE
“In 2017, the ANC
managed to crack down on key suppliers from the region and recovered cannabis
worth Rs 1.40 crore in Mumbai. Haji Abdul Rehman Ali Mohammad Sheikh, 67, a
resident of Anantnag district of Kashmir, who allegedly supplied 25-30kg of
Charas to the city every month was arrested in July, along with his aide Irfaan
Maisar Qureshi, a 42-year-old taxi driver from Nagpada. The police recovered
21kg of Charas (worth Rs 80 lakh) from them. “
(Source Hindustan Times,
Feb 6, 2018)
“The Anti-Narcotics Task
Force (ANTF) of Jammu and Kashmir Police foiled a bid to smuggle Charas worth
lakhs of rupees on Thursday. The ANTF seized 18 kilograms of Charas from the
accused and arrested two individuals in Jammu. A specialised unit tasked with
controlling the drug problem in the area received information that a Hyundai
i20 car with two passengers would be carrying a large quantity of Charas. The
vehicle was on its way from the Kashmir valley to Punjab via Jammu.”
(Source India Today, Oct
1, 2021)
“A police spokesperson
said, “Acting on specific inputs, a police party from Police Station Bijbehara
laid a Naka at Zirpara. During the check, a Hyundai Creta (Registration No..
JK02CX-6665) was intercepted. Upon thorough search of the vehicle,
approximately 1.250 kilograms of Charas powder-like substance was recovered
along with ₹2.48 lakh in cash.”
(Source Rising Kashmir,
May 18, 2025)
“The Anti-Narcotics Task
Force (ANTF), formed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration,n has seized a large
consignment of drugs to curb narcotics smuggling. The task force recovered a
consignment of 49 kilograms of Charas from a truck travelling from South Kashmir
to Nashik in Maharashtra. The police have detained the truck driver who was
carrying such a large consignment. SP Vinay Sharma informed reporters that the
ANTF received credible information that a narcotics consignment was in truck
number PB13AF-1246 travelling from Kashmir to Jammu. Acting on this
information, police personnel set up a checkpoint near Batra Hospital in the
Siddra area. As soon as the truck reached Siddra, the police personnel stopped
it. During the search of the truck, the consignment of Charas was recovered
from inside.”
(Google Translation from Hindi ...Source: Dainik Jagran, July 9, 2020)
"Jammu and Kashmir
Police on Saturday seized over 30 kilograms of Charas powder during a series of
coordinated raids in Wantrag village, Anantnag district. Three individuals have
been arrested in connection with the case."
(Source: Kashmir Life,
April 6, 2025)
Every day, newspapers
inform us that illegally smuggled Charas has been seized by the police and the
culprits arrested. We don’t know how
much is precisely smuggled out and how much is stopped by police action. It
needs public awareness as well to weed out this menace from society. The well-known Kashmir poet Rahman Rahi has written a satirical
sonnet, ‘Soun Gaam’ or ‘Our Village’, which depicts the incongruities of social life in
Kashmir. It also mentions “Charas Trade” as an important activity to
acquire wealth. I quote some lines from this poem translated into English by Sualeh Keen .
“Our village is
better off as a village; call it not a city
It receives sap
from Deen-dharma; make it not thirsty
This farmer friend
diverts the village canal for his urgent use
This travelling
trader sells woollen shawls as authentic Shahtoos
This is the land
of rishis, from every corner are expected offerings
Bedlam is
unleashed when a dervish releases from his Chillum smoke rings
It is here I saw
in a garden Shakti in the embrace of Shiva held
It is here in
tightly draped rooms that blue films are beheld
Tourists will be
camping there, if this saw goes into the jungle
And if your eyes
are irritated, it is I who is burning diesel
Qur’an I’ve heard
as well, but I’ve got to place on the market my daughter
Throw a recitation
party too, I will, if successful, is my “Charas venture”
(Avtar
Mota)
PS
(1)
The text is published copyright material. Needs specific permission from the author for its usage anywhere in any form by any person.
(2)
Charas, Bhaang and Gaanja are listed under Section 2 in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985. Consumption in any form and sale or purchase of these drugs / substances is illegal in India . These drugs/ substances have ill effects on the physical and mental health of a person . These can even kill a person.
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