Anyone Been to India?

[Mr.GigglesAlot]

I might get to go to India to go see my mom this year and I was wondering if anyone who has travelled to India would know where is the best place to find the bud (so to speak)

I've heard the Kullu Valley is a big spot for the hippies and there is an abundant supply of charas

 

[emmy75]

heya
ive been to india mainly rajasthan, where my mom is from. where is the kullu valley? ive never hooked up there because i always travel with my mom and she would freak out if i checked out any bhang stores. i was talkin to nagu sadu and he showed my some pics of bhang shops in punjab and rajasthan. he told me the shit there will lay you out for a couple of hours so buyer beware haha. anyway good luck with your search.

 

[glock23]

There's pot EVERYWHERE. That being said, some of it is pretty schwaggy. I'm Indian too. Talk to cool rickshaw drivers, but yeah, there are certain areas of India which are better for pot. Sadu is our resident, err, sadu on all matters relating to ganja and charas in India.

 

[naga_sadu]

I might get to go to India to go see my mom this year and I was wondering if anyone who has travelled to India would know where is the best place to find the bud (so to speak)

Wassup man / yaar / comrade

A better question would be "tell me a place in India you can't find bud." Seriously bro, ennumerating all the places u can score herb in India will be as mammoth of a task as counting the number of pillboxes in Hoxha's Albania.

But as a very rough answer to your question: The "best bud" in India is found in Kerela & the "best charas" is found in Himachal Pradesh & Jammu Kashmir.

Where in India are you going to and what exactly do you have in mind?? Do you want to chill out in the jungles? In the Thar desert??? In the Ghat highlands???? Or are you into that whole mysticism thing? I mean, tell me more about your preferrences dude. Like what YOU EXPECT out of your trip- in as much detail as you can.

Also, AVOID THE CITIES AT ALL COSTS they're rabid hellholes.

I've heard the Kullu Valley is a big spot for the hippies and there is an abundant supply of charas

Yep, the home of Manala cream It's a tad bit commercialised now and the development authority there is kinda taking an interest in promoting mainstream tourism, which usually don't bode well for stoners in the longer run.

Either ways, don't expect the "scene" in India to be this chill forever, unless there's a cultural revolution at some point. There are raids on rave parties nowadays. There was just one such raid in Pune not too long back. Shit like this never happened before.

India's chill FOR NOW but tomorrow? I'm not so sure- either ways, just post a detail of what you're expecting out of your trip so that we can be of better help.

 

[Mr.GigglesAlot]

well, If i can find the right price for a ticket (hoping for $1500) I would be visiting my mom in Mumbai, but my dad's side of the family lives in Ahmedabad (sp?) which is in Gujarat.

the last time I went to India was approx. 14 years ago when I was 5 (that was the last time I saw my mother too) and frankly, I honestly can't remember much of it, I've also never even heard of a bhang shop, nor do I have any clue of exactly what I want to see or do, I wanted to see it all, I've only seen the countryside on a train, I live in Alaska so I was thinking I would like to go see the mountains since it'd be cooler then Bombay's sweltering heat and humidity, I read in High Times that the Kullu Valley and the Kullu Mountains is both very nice, and that was probably the main reason for wanting to see it.

I'm not exactly sure of at all of what I'm going to, but I know I'll be traveling as much as possible, and the cool this is that my mom and sister are both cool with my being a stoner, so I'll get to explore the shops and such as well.

 

[naga_sadu]

well, If i can find the right price for a ticket (hoping for $1500) I would be visiting my mom in Mumbai, but my dad's side of the family lives in Ahmedabad (sp?) which is in Gujarat.

...are virulent cosmopolitan, materialistic, over polluted strife torn gulags- stay away from those places, unless you want the crappy impression of India. Maybe Emmy & Glock can give you a more "neutral" opinion of those places...

The instant you land yourself in Ahmedabad, get yourself a train ticket and head to Udaipur, Rajasthan ASAP. There are several "legal" Bhang shops in Rajasthan, the most "famous" one being in Jaisalmer, by the Fort.

The trip from Udaipur to Jaisalmer is quite long, though. During your stay in Rajasthan, doing camel treks in deserts is quite a common past time. DO NOT go for "company tours" get an independent camel handler.

A lot of these dudes smoke opium & charas 'round here, not so much mj. Unless you're having an extremely crappy day, your camel handler should have some "goods." Nothing beats smoking some charas in the desert night.

Either ways, in Rajasthan, Ajmer is a famous spiritual town, one of the most prominent Sufi saints rests here- stop by if you're interested.

EIther ways, once you've decided to chage states, proceed to Bikaner town (via bus). From there, you can take a rail to Chandigarh, Punjab. A LOT of licit mj cultivation (destined for bhang shops) happens in Punjab as this is India's most fertile state. Neighbouring Punjab is Himachal Pradesh, which is where the famous "Kullu" is located. But there's no rail service that's short, take the state run bus.

High TImes failed to notice something about Kullu. They rightfully claim there's lots of "goods"- yes, they're right. BUt not so much QUALITY goods. FInding some Manala cream will still be a challenge for the first timer tourist. The hospitality, laid back atmosphere of the Parvati valley is kinda long gone. The current "ambiance" reeks of uber salesmanship. From Kullu, you can proceed via bus / lorry (hitch hiking) to Jammu Kashmir. LOTS of charas to be found here. Don't get swayed by all the scare stories on Kashmir- the place is safer than the Bronx & Crenshaw BOulevard by far.

As far as Mumbai goes, you can take a train to Hyderabad (long distance)- from there, you get a whole window of opportunities. I don't know any "regulars" or anything and even as a visitor I've had no qualms finding good, decent herb from the whole Hyderabad - Nellore stretch. That's if you're progressing SOUTHWARDS. A good chunk of buds to Mumbai comes from Andhra, so you're bound to find something good here. And Andhra Pradeshis are one of the more "Socialist" types rather than the "MBA" vampires you'll run into in Mumbai. This should help you out alot. In Andhra Pradesh, it is considered quite ok to ask for lots of samples before making that buy. People will usually oblige, but not so much in uber fucked up pits like Mumbai.

From Hyderabad, if you wanna go NORTHWARDS you can take a train to Vijaywada, and proceed further north via rail to Puri in Orissa state, which is a Hindu spiritual town- so no probs w/ mj. There are bhang shops in Puri, you can get some great bhang sweets, the taste is awesome. But if you proceed northwards from Puri via rail, you can land in Calcutta (Kolkata).

You can proceed northwards to Sikkim, but chances are you'll have to shuttle by hitchhiking in lorries. Comrades 99% of the time (lorry drivers) have charas. These dudes don't ask you for payment, but out of courtesy, it will be good if you can spare something. Even if not $$$, something from the West- say some cigarette packs, cologne etc. Towards the Sikkim border, plenty of growing (mj), quality is quite damn good!

Again, from Mumbai / Ahmedabad, if you want to go south, an easy route is to get a cheap air ticket to Bangalore, Karnataka. Mumbai-Banglore tickets are cheap. From there, head to Mysore, some great mj is to be found here. From Mysore, you can proceed down south to Kerala- the home to the best quality of Indian mj.

In KErala you won't find shit in places like Trivandrum, Cochin, Kovalam, etc. You want to head to Palakkad or Munar. Yeah, yeah, Idukki and Varkala are supposedly "the places" to be, but too much city weed nowadays.

You can proceed to Thekkady, but you need to be an experienced trekker to handle this. There's great herbs that grows in the ghats, but you'll need to handle bear habitats to get there. So, watch your ass man. Ain't no guided tour that'll take you there.

Either ways, can you drive a motorbike? If you can drive a Czech made 250cc Jawa, your journey will be more rewarding, in terms of what you're looking for. You can BUY a second hand Jawa for as little as 8000 Rupees ($160) and it will be a worthwile investment, for sure! Do think about this angle as well. Trains can only take you to railway stations, and not the more remote parts of the country, which is where "the quality goods" are to be found.

PS PS PS PS PS:

Watch your six when you travel to the rurral parts of: Northern Andra Pradesh, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Bihar. Those areas are held by Maoist rebels. I don't think they'd behead you like the Al-Qaeda, but try to look as modest as possible while travelling thru these parts...and NEVER EVER travel in a jeep or a car. USE A BIKE.

On the side, do tell your Mom / Dad (if they're Indian) that you befriended an ex student union leader of a central government engineering college during Socialist days, amd see how they react lol.

There's pot EVERYWHERE. That being said, some of it is pretty schwaggy.

This is true, if you find "city weed" get about 30 grams and make a glass of bhang milk. Powder the herbs, low heat it w/ milk for 15-30 minutes and add lots of jaggery (natural sugar). You can't go wrong....

there are certain areas of India which are better for pot

North = charas (hash)
South = pot

General rule...

ive never hooked up there because i always travel with my mom and she would freak out if i checked out any bhang stores.

Not as much as she'd freak out if you told her you know a student union leader in a central government engineering college during Socialist days

where is the kullu valley?

Himachal Pradesh, a state bordering Punjab.

 

[Dkgrower]

Year, go to india.

In kerala, they have very good mj and oil.


Even it maby be a littel hash turist like in the kulu area, try look up paravati vally, where towns like pulga, kalka are still hash heaven *no police*. Some of the other vally=s that join the kulu vally is also good if you want less turist and the smoke there is superb, like saint vally.

 

[Mr.GigglesAlot]

omg.....sadu, you are the greatest wealth of knowledge for this, thank you, I had no clue how much there was to do and see

but wuts this about "student union leader in a central government engineering college during Socialist days?"

i don't understand

 

[naga_sadu]

omg.....sadu, you are the greatest wealth of knowledge for this, thank you, I had no clue how much there was to do and see

Thanx for the kind words, bro, but there's really nothing "spectacular" about what I've told you. It's just that some tourists in India kind of take an "Amsterdam like approach" and confine themselves to the cities. India is about trekking out & covering as much area as possible.

Anyways, as a first timer, you're likely to run into some city weed before your find quality goods like ghat sativas or manala cream charas. If you do find city weed, don't panic. Just make yourself some bhang milk tea with 30 grams of the city weed and you'll be blasted

Also, ALWAYS ASK TO INSPECT QUALITY before making the buy. Mostly, the variety of herbs you'll get will be pretty decent, but it will be haphazardly cultivated.

And if you can man a bike, most preferably a Czech made Jawa 250cc, you can see India 10000000000000000000x better, especially with what your looking for..

but wuts this about "student union leader in a central government engineering college during Socialist days?"

i don't understand

Ha ha, most NRIs (Non Resident Indians) and Indians from the elite professional / business circles loathe student union leaders to such a degree, it's mind boggling.

Actually an NRI family was lodged on my neighbour's house a few years back. Her parents told her to "beware" of me because student union leaders apparently sweet talk "gullable" NRI girls, seduce them in bed, and bind them into marriage for the sake of stealing all their money Yeah...RIGHT

I've been subject to so much stereotypical barrage it's not even funny. I was just curious to see if the stereotyping is still rampant...

 

[glock23]

lol I'll ask some NRI parents about the Student Union leader thing and I'll get back to you on that Sadu!

 

[THC4SIM]

I must admit, that was one hell of a write up about how to and where to find goods in india!!!, niceOne Sadu!

ive just been to goa a couple of times, and now score very good charas, at first we were getting offered all sorts of crap, but i got my contact now!!
i love the place but did not have the time or balls to go off all over india, but would love to see a lot more of it in future.

 

[medjool]

all you desi boys in the house..........



namaskar

mrs m

 

[emmy75]

naga as far as the student union thing goes i think most of us chiming in here, including me, are wayyyyyyy to young for the socialst movement. my parents might know of it but certainly not me. infact being born in the states and hving read bout the cold war and all its elements, both american and russian interests, well the whole economic feud just gives me a good laugh.

 

[Guest]

I found this http://www.indiamike.com/india/showthread.php?t=2463&highlight=bhang

some good pointers, like this post

The ins and outs of smoking in India!!!
Hi Rachelandmike, I've been following your postings both here and on the TT and thought I'd give you the benefit of some of my insights on the subject.
Much of what has been written in this thread and the LP one, is outdated wrong or just an inflated urban myth!!
Before I go on I would like to say that I agree with m2 and others smoking dope in India does carry a risk if caught so it is something to consider long and hard! The other side of the coin is there are many sensible people who smoke whilst in India and with a little common sense it is possible to minimize the risks!!
The following is a cyberhippie guide to what the scene entails!!

First of all the law, the narcotics law was amended in 2001. The old draconian law of an automatic 10 year sentence with no bail for the simple possesion of cannabis has been done away with. Instead the law now reccomends an sentence of up to 6 months or a fine or both for the possesion of up to 100 grams.
A possesion charge of more than 100 grams now carries a sentence of up to 10 years or a fine or both. Both offences are now bailable!!!

A few travellers in India will have you believe that should you get caught it a simple case of handing over a few hundred rupees to the police and you walk scot free. Wrong big time, in the event that you are able to bribe your way out of a situation I can assure you it will cost you a lot more than a few hundred rupees. And contrary to popular traveller myth not all policemen will accept a bribe!! So it is better to try and avoid this scenerio with some simple precautions that I will come to later!!
Lastly the advice about not letting a situation get as far as the police station, if your thinking of greasing palms do it there and then as a trip to the local cop shop will get very messy, with a lot more and bigger palms to grease before the whole thing is sorted out. If your going to do it do at the scene of the crime!!

Many folks have added their advice about bhang lassis and the old myth of lassis being laced with detura?? This is just that,a myth, the chances of you getting a lassi laced with detura or anything else are practically non existant. Most of the people who sell bhang lassis are doing all right thank you very much, they have no access to detura and have no wish to jepordize a very viable business. Perhaps this has happened in the past although I have never met anyone who has had a spiked lassi. I imagine this myth grew up with the many people who try a strong lassi because they smoke at home, they have then been shocked by the potency of their lassis leading them to believe they have had something other than bhang. As I say these vendors make a nice little profit on bhang lassis and are not in the business of giving their customers some kind of horror trip!!
Bhang lassis are also drunk by the locals but mostly only at special times like the holy festival of Shivatri
So what exactly is bhang?? Bhang is a preparation using the whole plant, leaves bud and stalk.To the plant content is added water (the plant is sometimes boiled to make the process easier) it is then pounded in kind of morter and pestle affair removing all the sinewy plant material as you go. The result is a greeny black putty like substance that looks just like Indian or Pakistani hash, although you cannot smoke bhang!!! This is added to curd with lots of sugar and the magic ingredient black pepper.
The sugar helps the fast digestion process (this is why lassis kick in quite quckly beware!!) and the pepper is suppose to soften the blow to the stomach.
Most places that sell bhang lassis no longer prepare their own bhang using instead the mass produced pellets or gollies available in many places in India from you local paan wallah!! One of the best kept secrets in India. Well a lassi will cost you 25 rupees at least, the gollies cost about 1-3 rps each and the curd cost almost nothing, so work it out!! The most popular brand name for bhang, are ghanesh gollies!!
The effect of these lassis in comparison to a joint can be quiet profound so it's better to start of slowly don't think because you smoked at home you will be prepared for the effects, you might be fine, you might not, it's better to veer on the side of caution with lassis. Buy a mild one first of all and see how you go, yes you can stipulate how strong you want your lassi just tell the vendor it's your first one and he will see to it that you don't recieve a dose that could spin you out!!

How to go about finding some bhang or dope(charras)
Whilst Pushkar, Varanasi and Udaipur are probably the most famous places for bhang lassis they are to had in many places in India, ask around for a "special lassi" and someone will know if they are available!!
Buying hash or grass in India is not too difficult but it is by no means available everywhere you go in India. In a few places in India there are goverment outlets or Goverment Bhang shops as they are known. These outlets sell grass (poor quality!) and sometimes lassis or sweets containing bhang. The two I know of are in Varanasi and Puri with Varanasi being the best with it's selection of sweets etc!!
The other way to buy, is from the street or "black market" for the want of another name!! here I don't reccomend asking too many locals as you will attract unwanted attention by doing this instead ask other travellers, they will generally know who has what and where, also the chances are if the"dealer" is a known source buying from him will not lead to any untoward situations!!
Although rare and I stress this it is very rare some people are not above selling you the charras then tipping of the local police!! very rare but it does happen!!
The prices vary from place to place but for charas (hash) expect to pay around 150 - 300 for a tola(10 grams) in the mountains where it is made to around 600-1200 in places like Goa!!
In the south Kerala grass is available from around 100 to 300 for a bag of around 7 grams!! the quality of this varies from hay like to something approaching skunk, looking for bud is generally a good indication that what you are buying is OK
The best of the best in India is Melana cream, a name you will hear bandied around a lot in India, especially by people looking to part you from your money!!! Don't even bother with the quest for this holy grail, Melana Cream is difficult to find, it took me 8 years and then I scored from a tried and trusted source, the bog standard hash in India is perfectly OK no need to part with large sums of cash for some fake Melana!!

The local have in most cases no problem with you smoking dope, it is of course part of India's cultural heritage. However as at home it's nice to be polite. Not everybody appreciates the bouquet of burning hash, in fact many people find the smell repulsive, so restaurant owners are not happy if you spark up and lose him customers!! As well as that he will also receive a lot of police bother should you be caught in his restaurant skinning up!! So use you head and be descreet!! I have in my time seen many smokers who behave terribly in India lighting up Chillums in restaurants much to th chagrin of owner and guests alike. Don't be selfish remember other people have the right to personal choice as well!!!!!

Some rules of engagement need to be followed in India to minimize the risks (notice the word minimize! There is no sure way to avoid being caught)
1. Try to avoid having it on your person too much and never travel with it!! I have personally been searched three times on a train and believe me, had I been stupid enough to have it on me they would surely have found it. The police were, how can I say this, very efficient!!
2. Avoid smoking in restaurants, for all the reasons I mentioned above and because it is a great way to see the inside of a Indian police station!! Smoke in your room, burn incense, and be tidy throw out all the paraphanalia that comes with smoking, ripped papers roach ends etc, and if it's an option don't even keep the stuff in your room stash it outside until you need it!!
3. Try not to smoke everywhere you go, buying somewhere new carries it's own risks and you can generally only buy blocks of 10 grams, so if your only staying for a couple of days in one place you won't smoke it all, leaving you entertaining the idea of just taking it with you!! Wait until you are some where where it is readily available and where you plan to spend some time!!
4. Above all be discreet at all times, India offers plenty lonely spots to enjoy a joint, all the fools sitting around in Goa like they were in a coffe shop in Amsterdam are just that fools, this is 2003 the good? old days are long gone and you ain't proving anything to anybody by getting out your enormous chillum you bought in Anjuna!!
5. It's better not to let all and sundry know that you smoke. In Indian villages gossip travels like wildfire, and you never know who's going to mention it to the wrong person!!

I hope this has provided you with some insight into the scene in India and helps you make an educated dicision.
I have smoked for years in India although it is by no means my only reason to go there. I try to follow all these principles and am very dicreet!! Until now I have had no run in with the law (touch wood) so it is possible with some common sense!!
Wish you both a great trip, boomshanker!!!

peace.

 

[ngakpa]

Westerners' preoccupation with soft squidgy "cream" hash has had a dire effect on the general quality of charas in India

anyone who believes that the soft, bendy, stretchy charas is good hash is a muppet - especially when they sing the praises of its "subtle" effects

good charas should blow your head off, one joint should keep you high for a good four hours

the sweet, soft charas is cut to shit with things like fruit oil, and produced very quickly compared to the real deal

I am not an expert on charas adulteration, but one traditional method is to alternate rubbing the plants with dates - hence bulking out the hash with sweet organic matter - roughly 50/50

it may well be there is good charas still produced in Parvati and so on, but I am yet to see any backpacker charas experts smoking it

 

[momb0]

Fuck India

 

[ngakpa]

may I suggest this guy be banned?

 

[Brad]

your not the first 1 to suggest that.

 

[emmy75]

why are individuals like him allowed to stay on board???? heave ho

 

[Dutchgrown]

why are individuals like him allowed to stay on board???? heave ho

They aren't....the nic was banned same day the post was made...see the title under his nic....it says 'banned'.

dg