CANNAMS SATIVA, VAE. INDlCA. 23? 



origin has been invented for it. It is said to have been produced 

 in the shape of nectar while the gods were churning the ocean 

 with the mountain called Maadara. It is the favourite drink of 

 Iudra, the king of gods, and is called vijayd, because it gives 

 success to its votaries. The gods through compassion on the 

 human race sent it to this earth so that mankind by using it 

 habitually may attain delight, lose all fear, and have their sexual 

 desires excited. 1 On the last day of the Durga pooja, after the 

 idols are thrown into water, it is customary for the Hindus to 

 see their friends and relatives and embrace them. After this 

 ceremony is over it is incumbent on the o^ner of the house 

 to offer to his visitors a cup of bhang and sweet-meats for tiffin. 



A 



An intoxicating agent with such recommendations cannot 

 but be popular and so we find it in general use amongst all 

 classes especially in the North- West provinces and Behar. In 

 Bengal it has latterly become the fashion to substitute brandy, 

 but I w.ell remember having seen in the days of my boyhood 

 the free use of bhang among the better classes of people who 

 would have shunned as a pariah any one of their society addicted 

 to the use of the forbidden spirituous liquor. At the doors of 

 many rich baboos, Hindustani durwans could be seen rubbing 

 the bhdng in a stone mortar with a long wooden pestle, and the 

 paste so prepared wae not solely intended for the use of the 

 servants. I do not mean to say that all classes of Hindoos 

 without exception are or were addicted to the use of bhdng. 

 Some castes among the up-country men and some classes of 

 people amongst Bengalis are as a rule very temperate in their 

 habits and do not use any narcotic at all ; but the ordinary run of 

 orthodox Hindus, acjustomed to have their little excitements, use 

 bhdng for the purpose without incurring any opprobrium such as 

 would insult from the use of spirituous liquors. 



The three principal forms in which Indian hemp is met with 

 in' India are, — 1, Gdnjd y the dried flowering tops of the female 



tmfom i tffaHt fawiT*wT Www mi *rc: *wst €^m^*n*r?^*r*ft k 

 ■Mm *4*t H *nrwr, i 



