429

tutes also indulge in it. I have not seen children
consume any of these drugs.

31.  The habit is easily acquired, difficult to
break off, and has a tendency to excess.

32.  "Three Nath Mela," where one pice pan
and supari, one pice ganja, and one pice mustard
oil are offered as a religious ceremony; and on every
festival when Siva is worshipped where the banian
and peepul trees are growing together (Ficus
indica, Ficus religiosa) this custom is essential,
but temperate. Their occasional smoking must
lead to the formation of the habit.

33. Yes, there is a strong public opinion, both
social and religious, in favour of the practice. The
hemp plant is not worshipped in any ceremony,
but it is held in great veneration by jogis, baira-
gis, and other religious mendicants.

34.  It would certainly be serious to a very
large class of consumers.

35.  It would be feasible to prohibit, but difficult
to enforce. An army of excise men could not
prevent the illicit growth and consumption. The
prohibition would not drive Hindu devotees to
alcoholic stimulant; to others it would.

36.  No.

37.  There is no difference between charas and
ganja smoking, except that the latter is milder.

38 and 39. I am unable to answer these ques-
tions; only those, who have tried it, can.

40.  Yes, bhang is often prescribed by kabirajes,
but I do not think ganja or charas is. I have
heard that ganja is applied to extract worms in
foot-sore disease of cattle.

41.  The moderate use of ganja, charas and
bhang is not harmful. People say that it is
digestive, gives staying-power, and keeps off
fever.

42.  The moderate use of these drugs is harm-
less, but it is very difficult to draw the line where
the harm begins. It is said that one chillum of
ganja is happiness, two heavenly, three intoxi-
cating, and the fourth madness. Another saying
is one chillum is so-and-so, two is refreshing, three
is prime minister, and the fourth is kingly.

43.  Yes.

44.  I am unable to answer these questions.

45.  I have already answered some of these
questions.

46. I have already answered some of these
questions.

47 and 48. No.

49.  Yes, but it does not tend to produce im-
potence.

50.  Excessive use must eventually ruin the
constitution.

51.  Speaking as an old police officer, I have
invariably found thieves and bad characters ad-
dicted to smoking ganja; it is said to give them
courage to undertake a job and cunning to escape
capture.

52.  Excessive use acts just the reverse of the
last answer—produces drowsiness and sleep, and
unconsciousness follows as a general rule.

53.  I know it tends to lunacy. I have seen
several instances among criminal offenders.

54.  Yes, see paragraph 51.

55.   Hemp drugs do not produce immediate
stupefaction; it can only be done with dhatura.

56.  I have never seen hemp drugs mixed with
dhatura, but I have met cases in which dhatura
is mixed with country spirits.

57.  Already answered in paragraph 24.

58.  I am not acquainted with the present system
of excise administration; there must be many
changes since I left the service sixteen years
ago.

61.  Yes.

62.  Answered in paragraph 35.

63.   1 do not think there could be any improve-
ment; there already exist too many restrictions.

64.  No.

65.  I have never heard objections to the ganja
tax, but there is a great outcry against the tax on
country spirits.

66.  One uniform rate for all kinds of ganja
would be preferable.

67.  No.

68.  There are licensed shops for the sale of
ganja, but nobody is allowed to sit there or smoke
on the premises.

69.  Mufassal ganja shops are fixed in public
bazars, where it is not necessary to consult the
wishes of the people.

70.  It can only be smuggled from Hill Tippera,
but there are a good many safeguards against it.

Before concluding I would add that even if the
cultivation of opium is restricted, ganja will rule
the country.

198. Evidence of BABU NITYANANDA DASS, Assistant Temple Manager, Puri.

                  Oral evidence.

I am Assistant Manager of the Puri Temple.
I was appointed to this office nine months ago on
behalf of the Puri Rani. I am a native of Puri,
and have lived here practically all my life. I
have resided for the most part in the town of
Puri; but I go into the interior sometimes to
visit my estates. I was also Tahsildar of Khurda
for some time before 1883, and I knew that sub-
division then.

There are many servants of different classes
attached to the temple of Jagannath at Puri.
There are thirty-six classes of servants. The
principal are the suars or cooks; the pandas or
pilgrim-agents, who also offer the bhoj or food
to the god; the patribara and guribara, who
offer tulsi and water; the pariharis or watchmen
the daitas, who carry the idol to and from the
rath and to bathe, and are the most ancient of the
temple servants; the mekap, who have the charge
of the clothes, ornaments, etc.; and the poshupalak,
who decorate the idol. All these different classes
of servants take hemp. There are very few indi-