Charas is the name given to hand-made hashish in India and Pakistan. Hashish (from Arabic: ar حشيش, lit "grass" also hash) is a preparation of cannabis composed of the compressed India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and It is made from the extract of the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa). Cannabis ( Cán-na-bis) is a Genus of Flowering plants that includes three putative species Cannabis sativa subsp Cannabis sativa is an annual plant in the Cannabaceae family It is a Herb that has been used throughout recorded history by humans for various purposes The plant grows wild throughout Northern India, Pakistan and the Himalayas (its putative origin) and is an important cash crop for the local people. Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula In Agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for Money.
Charas has been used across the Indian sub-continent for its medicinal and religious properties for thousands of years and was sold in government shops (along with opium) in the early days of the British Empire. Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies ( The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. Charas plays an important and often integral role in the culture and ritual of the Hindu religion, especially among the Shaivs - the sub-division of Hinduism holding Lord Shiva to be the supreme god (in contrast to Vaishnavs who worship Lord Vishnu) and it is venerated as being one of the aspects of Lord Shiva. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific
Despite this long history, charas was made illegal in the 1980s and draconian sentences were introduced. Even the mere possession had a mandatory ten year prison sentence. In law possession is the control a person intentionally exercises toward a thing These laws have now been somewhat relaxed, however Charas has been known to be a popular medium for police to extort bribes from consumers of the drug. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society
Even at the peak of the crackdown, charas was still popular and it remains so today, especially amongst Indian sadhus. In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an Ascetic or practitioner of Yoga ( Yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three The Naga Sadhus, Aghoris and Tantric Bhairav sects smoke it freely because they claim its use as being an integral part of their daily life. Nāga ( नाग, IAST: nāgá, Indonesian: naga, Javanese: nogo, Khmer: neak) is The Aghori are a Hindu sect believed to have split off from the Kapalika order (which dates from 1000 AD) in the fourteenth century Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric Bhairava (Sanskrit sa भैरव "Terrible" or "Frightful" sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya, is the fierce manifestation Many smoke it in clay pipes called chillums, using a cotton cloth to cover the smoking end of the chillum or by inserting a tightly packed pebble sized ball of cannabis as filter for the chillum. Chillum can mean Chillum (pipe, a smoking pipe originating in India Chillum Maryland, a census-designated place in Prince George's County Before lighting the chillum they will chant the many names of Shiva in veneration. In Christianity, veneration ( Latin veneratio, Greek &delta&omicron&upsilon&lambda&iota&alpha dulia) or veneration of saints The government even provides its supply in huge quantity to meet the demand during the largest gathering of sadhus of all sects during the Kumbh mela, or festival of the holy men. Kumbh Mela ( Devanagari: कुम्भ मेला is a mass Hindu Pilgrimage. A religious festival is a time of special importance marked by adherents to that Religion.
the best charas grown in India comes from the mountains, especially those of Kashmir. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir For this reason India has become very popular with backpackers and those involved in drug smuggling. The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs The best charas is made very high up away from the police and is known as 'cream'.
Cannabis grown at high altitude is known to be particularly strong. Potency can be related to natural selection of wild strains in harsh conditions. At high altitudes the ultraviolet radiation is strong and cannabis exposed to ultraviolet radiation produces substantially more THC (the main psychoactive compound found in cannabis). Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays It has been suggested that THC is produced as a defense against short wavelength ultraviolet light.
The resin sticks to one's palms and by the end of the day one has harvested perhaps 8 or 9 grams of charas. The faster one works, 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. Nowadays production of cannabis in the Himalayas have increased as growing demand for the Manali cream named after the village it has been made. This ancient art is disappearing under the pressure to capitalize on the domestic and international market for charas.
Gardaa is a type of Charas made in Pakistan using dried cannabis of high potency. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Cannabis ( Cán-na-bis) is a Genus of Flowering plants that includes three putative species Cannabis sativa subsp It is a very pure form of Charas; free from any additive chemicals. It is a very pliable substance which can take any shape. Usually sold in the shape of balls, Gardaa starts dissolving into smaller particles even with the heat of the palm. Gardaa is a word of Urdu Language (official language of Pakistan) which means "Dust". It is named Gardaa due to its similarity in colour to mud or brown thick dust. Charas is mostly consumed after it is heated. After it is heated, the "brown powder" changes into a smooth "greenish mass". The term gardaa is also some times used to describe the greenish powder-form of charas. Gardaa has two types mainly, one is soft, solid, smooth structure known as pakka garda and the other one is kacha gardaa, kacha gardaa is a soft powder which is green (or lightly green brown sometimes).
Although gardaa is available throughout Pakistan, but it is made in northern tribal areas of Pakistan and in Afghanistan. it is mainly available in Peshawer but is not sold openly, and with a help of a good guide you can find it. In N-W. F. P. , It can mostly be found in those areas which lie on the border with Khyber Agency and Kurram Agency. One such place is Shah Kass which is part of Khyber Agency and borders with the Hayatabad settlement of Peshawar city. 40% of the youth which also includes university students consume charas. one "tola" averagely costs 170-210 Pakistani Rupees. Its price has increased due to the tension in the Tribal Areas. Gardaa is smoked, usually mixed with cigarette tobacco and rolled back into the cigarette blank. A cigarette ( French "small Cigar " from cigar + -ette) is a product consumed through Smoking and manufactured Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Cigarettes that burn longer due to cigarette paper/tobacco qualities are preferred for mixing and smoking Gardaa. To smoke Gardaa in a Cigarette, Cigarette tobacco is taken out and refined using hands to make it into smaller particles. Tobacco leaves with less moisture are easier to crush. Gardaa is than heated to make it soft; this is often referred to as 'cooking'. The objective is to dissolve the Gardaa in the tobacco to make a mix while wasting minimum smoke value (meaning heated only enough to make it soft without burning it into smoke). Once mixed with the tobacco using hands it is filled back into the cigarette blank. The cigarette is tightly filled back to ensure maximum smoke in each puff.
Rolling paper is also used to smoke Gardaa. Rolling papers are small sheets rolls or leaves of Paper which are sold for rolling one's own Cigarettes Gardaa with tobacco mixture is filled into the rolling paper to make a cigarette.
Gardaa In the Indian part of Kashmir Gardaa is made from dried cannabis leaves of low quality. They put the material into a cornleaf, by twisting the leaf the material is being pressed in the shape of a corkscrew. After some weeks or months of fermentation the unwrapped product is sold in its typical twisted shape but now in strong consistence for only half the price of charas. The colour is depending on the quality ranging from green to brown. In the seventies and eighties it was also available in Germany sometimes. What my prededessor describes is the most common way of producing Haschisch in Morocco, Lebanon and Turkey. This method was introduced by western backpackers to the himalayan countries and was adopted by the local people. Traditionally they only produce Charas, Garda, Ganja and Bhang from cannabis.