In our newest series, we bring to you one of India’s Most Extreme experiences. Today we’re covering the historic Opium ceremony of Jodhpur as well as the bishnoi community of Rajasthan.
Opium ceremony or the Amal Sabha is an ancient ritual in Rajasthan where the elderly men celebrate milestones in their family by preparing a concoction of water & opium aka “Amal”. Opium however is legally banned for consumption and production, hence we participated in the recreation of the ceremony – which is now made with black tea.
The concoction is prepared by older men and served in one’s hand, a portion as small as droplets. The general rule of thumb here is that the drink must be consumed in portion sizes of 1, 3 or 5, as consuming it in even portion sizes is considered unlucky. The amal in the olden days was used before war time, but sometimes even to resolve conflicts and family disputes.
The bishnois on the other hand, are a sect of animal and nature conservationists. They ardently follow a list of 29 rules which revolve around conserving nature and protecting wildlife. Bishnois are popular for fiercely protecting the black bucks, which led to the controversial case of the Salman Khan black buck arrest.
Watch as our anchor Neha Nambiar explores the villages of Jodhpur, meeting, interviewing and learning about the bishnois as well as indulging in the modern format of the Amal Sabha (with black tea) aka the Opium ceremony.