Charas

Charas is the name given to hand-made hashish in India. It is typically grown in the Himalayas and is an important local cash crop for the locals.

History of charas

Charas has long played an important role in Indian culture and was venerated as being one of the aspects of Lord Shiva. Still today an Indian sadhu may smoke it in clay pipes called chillums and before lighting the chillum they will call out of one the many names of Shiva in veneration.

Charas used to be sold in government shops along with opium back in the days of the British Empire and it was as much part of Indian daily life as chai or chapattis .

However in the days of the American-funded drug war charas was made illegal in the 1980's and draconian sentences of a mandatory ten year prison sentence were introduced just for possession of the drug. These laws have now been relaxed but still Indian police make use of the threat of jail to extort baksheesh from anyone caught smoking.

Yet during the festival of holy men, the kumba mela the government even imports a ton of charas for the sadhus.

Charas was first exported illegally by the likes of Henry de Monfreid and still today many backpackers will support their travels by swallowing some to sell back in the West.

Local cultivation

The best charas grown in India is known to come from the Parvati Valley. For this reason the place has become very popular with backpackers and those involved in drug smuggling. The best charas is made very high up away from the police and is known as 'cream'.

Charas is made by rubbing your hands through the flowers and is long, tedious work. The resin sticks to your palm and at the end of the day you have harvested perhap 8 or 9 grams of charas. The faster you work the lower the quality of charas. Hence to make 'cream' it is necessary to go very slowly and it is only possible to make a few grams a day.

This ancient art is disappearing under the pressure to capitalise on the domestic and international market for charas but interestingly, the Italians have taken up the art themselves. With the same excellance they apply to the cultivation of tomatoes they now produce some of the best charas in India.

Effects

Charas is typically smoked through a chillum and although tobacco is also mixed in the effects can be very strong, even occasionally psychedelic. It is much purer than regular hashish in the West though and as such a steady charas smoker may get through 10 grams a day. This weight is approximately a 'tolla' and at source will cost around 5-10 dollars, depending upon the quality. Cream, which is of higher quality, will cost about 20-30$ in India. Sometimes it is adultrated with shoe polish and dung.