It was that time of year again when bhang showed up at Holi parties, in steel tumblers and tall glasses of thandai.
But bhang was not just a festival buzz. It carried centuries of history, religion, colonial politics and law.
Here is how India’s most talked-about festive drink evolved.
First Came The Plant
Cannabis had existed in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. References to the plant appeared in the Atharva Veda, one of the oldest Hindu texts. It described cannabis as one of the five sacred plants and associated it with happiness and liberation.
In traditional Ayurvedic practices, cannabis preparations were used in controlled quantities to treat pain, digestive issues and anxiety. Its role was medicinal and ritualistic. It was not framed as a recreational substance in the modern sense.
Over time, the leaves of the cannabis plant were ground into a paste. That paste became what people now called bhang.
Why Shiva Entered The Chat
Bhang gained religious significance through its association with Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva consumed cannabis and found it calming. Devotees later offered bhang to him as prasad.
Another legend linked cannabis to the story of Samudra Manthan, the churning of the ocean by the gods. It said that drops of divine nectar fell to the earth and cannabis plants grew from them.
Some traditions also claimed that after Shiva consumed poison to save the world, cannabis helped cool and soothe him. These stories strengthened the belief that the plant carried spiritual and medicinal value.
Because of this divine association, bhang received a kind of cultural clearance. In certain upper caste Hindu communities where intoxicants were restricted, bhang remained acceptable due to its religious link.
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Enter Holi And Thandai
For many young Indians today, bhang was most visible during Holi.
It was usually mixed into thandai, a chilled drink made from milk, nuts, spices, rose petals and sugar. The cannabis paste blended into this creamy base, creating what many considered the ultimate festive drink.
Cities such as Varanasi and Mathura became especially known for Holi celebrations where bhang was part of the ritual atmosphere.
Bhang was not limited to drinks. People mixed it into pakoras, chutneys and even sweets like laddoos. The paste format made it versatile.
Despite raised eyebrows about cannabis, bhang stayed socially accepted during specific festivals. Context mattered.
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Then Came The British Debate
When the British ruled India, they noticed widespread cannabis use. Instead of banning it immediately, they conducted a detailed investigation.
In 1893 to 1894, the colonial administration published the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report. The commission studied cannabis consumption across regions and communities.
The report concluded that moderate use did not create significant social harm. It even warned that banning such a culturally embedded substance could cause public resentment.
However, global attitudes towards cannabis hardened in the twentieth century. India’s approach eventually changed too.
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The 1985 Law That Changed Everything
In 1985, the Indian government introduced the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, commonly called the NDPS Act.
The law criminalised the production and sale of cannabis resin and flowers. But it made a distinction. Preparations made from cannabis leaves were not banned in the same way.
That legal nuance kept bhang alive.
Licensed government shops in some states continued to sell bhang legally. The Act also allowed the use of leaves and did not criminalise the growth of wild cannabis plants in the same way as processed derivatives.
This created a legal grey area. Cannabis was illegal in most forms. Bhang, when prepared from leaves and sold through authorised vendors, remained permitted.
Where It Stood Today
Urban India had shifted towards alcohol, tobacco and other modern intoxicants. Yet bhang-laced thandai remained the default cultural high during Holi.
Its survival was not accidental. It rested on three pillars: scripture, mythology and legal exception.
For young Indians navigating conversations around cannabis legalisation, bhang represented a uniquely Indian contradiction. A plant described as sacred in ancient texts later became regulated under modern narcotics law. A substance debated globally continued to circulate locally during religious festivals.
Bhang was not just a drink. It was a case study in how culture, religion and law intersected in India.
And every Holi, that history quietly resurfaced in a glass of green-tinted thandai.
Note: While bhang is culturally and legally accepted in many parts of India under state-specific regulations, the unauthorised cultivation and sale of cannabis remains a criminal offense under the NDPS Act.
