Traditionally this smoking tool has been used in spiritual ways. The Indian Sadhu, or so called 'holy men', smoked with chillums for thousands of years. The spiritual meaning is similar to what drinking red wine means for Catholics. The chillum probably already existed before tobacco was introduced in India. In that period chillum was used for smoking opium and other narcotics.

Smoking with chillums was strictly limited to men. Chillum was also only in the north of India, mainly in rural areas. A chillum is often smoked with smoking stuff in a group. Chillums have been and still are produced in on a local scale in India. They are cheap and easily available. The hippy movement introduced the chillum in Europe and America in the sixties of the last century.

Effects

The effects of smoking with chillum depend on the size of the chillum. Small chillums will bring hot smoke directly to the mouth. By taking a larger chillum, smoke will not only cool down, but there will also be a larger quantity of smoke in your mouth. And of course: the more smoke you inhale, the stronger the effects.

Use

You will need:
- some tobacco
- between a half and one gram of hash or weed

Crumble the tobacco and mix it with the weed or hash. Put the mixture in the chillum neck. Then you put a filter on the mouth of the chillum. The chillum is now ready for use. Make sure your mouth doesn't come into contact with the safi. The safi is namely covered with tar. You can heat the mixture by blowing a few times shortly, followed by a deep inhalation. For maximum effect you keep the smoke in your lungs as long as possible.

Use a stick or a rope to clean the chillum. Pull it back and forth through the inside of the chillum. The loose stone should be cleaned regularly.