Intoxicants

In general, Hindu culture condemns
anything that could lead to loss of
control, including intoxicants such as
alcohol and mind-altering drugs. The
level of disapproval associated with
these substances depends on the
substance itself and the circumstances
under which it is consumed. For
example, consumption of distilled
spirits (“foreign liquor”) is seen as a
sign of adopting outside values, while
consuming undistilled, fermented
beverages such as “country liquor” and
toddy is considered a low-class activity. However, there are a handful of
Hindu temples at which liquor is the
everyday offering to the deity and
worshipers consume it as prasad, the
sanctified food or drink that carries the
deity’s blessing.
The attitude toward intoxicating
drugs is also complex. Although they are
also subject to general disapproval,
Hindu mythology portrays Shiva as
regularly consuming both bhang, made
from crushed marijuana, and the
intoxicating datura plant. Some of
Shiva’s devotees (bhakta) do the same in
emulation of their chosen deity, and
many ascetics regularly smoke hashish
(charas) mixed with tobacco, a habit
interpreted by some as an intentional
separation from the normal social
system. Consuming bhang is a fairly
common feature of certain religious
festivals, such as Shivaratri and
Holi, although there are many people
who abstain.