National drink of India has to be BHANG!
Bhang is a preparation from the leaves and flowers of the female cannabis, smoked or consumed as a beverage in the Indian subcontinent.
Bhang was first used as part of the Hindu rite in India around 1000 BC and soon became an integral part of Hindu culture. The herb was devoted to Lord Shiva on Shivratri, a Hindu festival.
Sadhus and Sufis use Bhang to boost meditation and to achieve transcendental states. Bhang or cannabis is also used amongst Sufis as an aid to spiritual ecstasy.
The Nihang sect of the Sikh community is one of the consumers of bhang as a pain relaxer from battle wounds. Though its strictly prohibited to consumes for pleasure in Sikhism and is followed very loyally. It started as an ayurvedic medicine whose main use for the Nihangs was to aid in reducing pain from battle wounds, and a digestive assistant called Sukhnidhan.
The tradition of consuming bhang during Holi is particularly common in North India where Holi itself is celebrated with a fervor unseen elsewhere. Bhang is heavily consumed in Mathura, an ancient town of religious importance to the Hindus. Here the practice is believed to have been introduced by the followers of Lord Krishna and has stayed ever since. They begin the preparation by Sanskrit chants and recitation of prayers to Lord Shiva. Some people from Mathura take Bhang to work up their appetite while others do it to relieve themselves of stress. But the hub of bhang use is Varanasi or Banaras, the Land of Shiva, where the bhangis prepared on its famous ghats.
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