From aristrocratic Hookah to glamorous public Hookah Bars--a brief

historiography on Hookah smoking. By Indranil Sarkar.

Traditional Bengal Hookah

Introduction:- The history of Hookahs or Hookah smoking is extensive and interesting.
Hookah bars, or hookah lounges, have existed around the world for over 1000 years. Smoking
flavored shisha has become a pastime for the elite youths in recent times. It has become a
global phenomenon with a tinge of local flavor in most cases.
Rudimentary hookahs got their origins in the North West part of India almost one thousand
years ago. They were simple, primitive and rugged in design. The base was usually made from
a coconut shell. Initially they were created to smoke opium and hashish. In course of time
smoking tobacco through Hookah became a sign of Indian aristocracy. Originally a medical
transcript, Hookah became a favourite pastime among the Indian nobles in Mughal Emperor
Akbars Court. As no clear history of the origin of Hookah smoking is available, it is speculated
firmly that the physician Irfan Shaikh, at the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542 - 1605
AD) popularized the idea in Northern India.( Cyril Elgood (PP.41, 110).Critics credited Sir Walter
Raleigh, the talent extra ordinary, for initiating tobacco smoking in England. And probably
before the coming of modern Cigarette tobacco was consumed in Hookahs in England also.

Galyan
Hakim Abul-Fath Gilani was a migrant from Gilan. He invented a modified device of smoking
tobacco through a water-pipe in order to minimize the harmful effect of tobacco around 1600
A.D. He called his device Galyan.

Hookah smoking had no gender discrimination. It was popular among both the male and the
female like present day craze for visiting the Hookah Bars by young boys and girls.
Likewise Hookah bars, or hookah lounges, existed around the world for over 500 years. With
the coming of Globalization, Hookah smoking has got a public status unlike its original

domestic and aristocratic nature. Now a days, young people have made Hookah smoking in
Hookah Bars a better alternative to consuming Wine/Beer in traditional Wine Bars or Pubs.
Defn. of s a Hookah:- A Hookah (or Hooko) is a water pipe. These have been used for
centuries in Asia and the Middle East to smoke tobacco. Though originally an exclusive adult
habit, the present trend is found to be a crazy addiction and favourite pastime among teens
and young adults.
A Hookah consists of four parts:

a smoke chamber, or base which is partially filled with water

a bowl that contains tobacco and the heating source

a pipe that connects the bowl to the base and dips into the water in the base

a hose (second tube) in the pipe that does not dip into the water but opens up into the
air in the base allowing the user to inhale the smoke

When a smoker inhales through the tube, a pressure difference forces air to pass the heating
source and heats tobacco in tobacco chamber; therefore, it gives off smoke. The smoke is
pulled away from the tobacco and passes through the water into the smoke chamber. Then it
is inhaled.
Electronic Hookah: In these days of revolution in electronic devices, Hookah has not remained
unaffected. Replacing the traditional Hookas made of Coconut shell and Bamboo, electronic
Hookahs have taken its position. These electronic Hookahs are similar to that of a fountain
pen. Erstwhile Pipe mechanism of USA has been further simplified in an electronic Hookah

and given the shape of a fountain pen or a disposable syringe for the sake of easier portability
and comfortable usages.

Rechargeable Hookah pen or electronic Hookah:

Electronic Hookah
19th C. Hookah Majlish: In India Hookah was smoked publicly in the parlours or Guest/Out
House of the aristocratic and rich people. These public gatherings were called Hookah Majlish.
Hookah Majlishes were very important pastime for the Zaminders and Babus of Bengal during
the Bengal Renaissance. Taking of snuff and smoking of Hookah became a sign of
Renaissance intelligentsia. High quality flavored Hookah acted as a creative impulse to Michel
Madhusudan Dutt, the noted Renaissance litterateur.
Hookah Bars in India: In recent times Hookah Bars have sprang up in almost all cities in India
and the youths have taken it as a favourite pass-time. The Hippy culture of the 70s and 80s
have got a less harmful and less costlier alternative in the Hookah Bars. Hookah smoking in a
Hookah Bar has become a sign of smartness among the youths irrespective of their gender.

However, the elite and financially sound boys and girls are the main visitors to Hookah Bars.
The middle class has still retained their conservative habit of smoking cigarettes privately. In
Guwahati also there are more than one Hookah Bars over-thronged by youths including
students of various higher education institutions.
Hookah Bars in the U.S.A: Of late Hookah has become very popular in U.S.A. Students who
were earlier reported smoking cigarettes or trying alcohol or drugs have been found getting
more hooked to hookah reported the online edition of Pediatrics.
Interestingly the researchers found a link between the students' socio-economic status and the
hookah smoking.
"Surprisingly, students with more educated parents or higher personal income are at high risk
for use Hookah Bars," Dr Joseph J. Palamar, an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU
Langone Medical Center (NYULMC), said in a news release.
Scooping the news, Rashni Mahesh, a journalist, says that the introduction of hookah pens
may have contributed largely to this occurrence. "These nifty little devices are likely to attract
curious consumers, possibly even non-cigarette smokers," said Dr. Palamar. "And unlike
cigarettes, hookah comes in a variety of flavors and is less likely to leave users smelling like
cigarette smoke after use. This may allow some users to better conceal their use from their
parents or peers." Continues Roshni Mahesh.
Summing Up: According to Michael Weitzman, the popular misconception that hookahs are
safer than cigarettes plays a major role for the emergence of Hookah Bars and Hookah
smoking. In U.S.A Cigarette use has been decreased by 33% in the past decade while the use of
hookahs has increased an alarming 123%. In reality Hookah smoking is more damaging to
health than the cigarettes.
According to WHO report smoking hookah for one hour delivers 100 to 200 times volume of
smoke delivered by a single cigarette. Apart from that, sharing the same mouthpiece can also
increase the risk of transmission of several diseases including TB and hepatitis. It also causes

hazards to the non-smokers as well. Whatsoever, smoking flavoured Hookah in a Gorgeous

Hookah Bar has become a status symbol to the educated youths and students. Naturally
Hookah Bars have become a characteristic of Popular Culture all over the world.
words]

[1111