The chillum , smoking hash is an integral part of the Bawa culture .. be it the Malangs or the Rifais .. even among the Naga Sadhus and the Aghoris the chillum is the soul that brings you into their transcendental territory.
I have smoked in my time 14 goli chillum not anymore .its been almost 30 years since I gave up the chillum.
So the bawas get upset when I refuse the chillum when they offer it to me ..
and I have no issue it is their chillum and their lungs.
And here I must make an honrary mention my German friend Dorothea known as Miriam in the Malang circle has got timely treatment for the Bawas got them checked up at clinis most of them were in last stages of TB tuberculosis ,,
The Malangs call her their Florence Nightingale , she has saved many lives at Ajmer Sharif all with her own money ,,and through charity .
Smokinh hash ganja , smoking the chandul too among the hardcore bawas is common ,my Rifai Sai Handi Bawa died because of all this heavy smoking...I have seen a lot of Bawas die fade away , but it is tough for them to give up the chillum,
And here I must make another honrary mention of a friend in the early 60s Porus Singh of Cuffe Parade , we were in the same clique along with Keith Kanga and others , Porus was a loaded cut Sikh married to a Dutch lady he used to chase brown sugar with beers .. last I met him many years back at Fort he was in tattered clothes a vagrant He recognized me called me but I was scared cowardly and ran away from his presence I wish I had stopped talked to him.. too late now I dont know if he is alive or dead.
And the main adda for us guys was near Rhythm House lane near the Synagogue or near Bade Miya lane or opposite Dhanraj Mahal.
We smoked in the archives at Elphinstone college .. old memories .many years back,.
