|
South
Asia:
In
Katmandu,
Hindu
Holy
Men
Smoke
Marijuana
in
Annual
Shiva
Festival
3/3/06
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/425/shiva.shtml
Hindu holy men, devotees,
and tourists by the hundreds, if not thousands, smoked marijuana this weekend
outside a temple in Nepal to honor Shiva
the Destroyer, the Hindu god of change and goodness. The annual
festival at the Pashupatinath temple on the outskirts of Katmandu is expected
to draw 150,000 people, the Associated Press reported.
Holy men (or yogis) smeared
in ash and wearing loin cloths shared marijuana, or charas, with worshippers,
locals, and tourists as they chanted praises to Shiva. In Hindu tradition,
the gods sent the hemp plant to man to help him attain delight, courage,
and sexual powers. The plant is consecrated to Shiva and is known,
among other names, as "vijaya" (victory) after the gods were able to wrest
it away from demons. It is still widely esteemed in India and the
subcontinent for its ability to endow users with mystic, supernatural powers.
While the use and possession
of marijuana is illegal in Nepal, authorities do not interfere with pot-smoking
at the annual festival. They also have not managed to do away with
the world famous Nepalese hash.
-- END --
|
Issue #425
-- 3/3/06
Editorial:
A
Basic
Question
of
Fairness
|
Feature:
Canada
Cannabis
Seed
Crackdown?
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Feature:
In
Annual
Ritual,
Bush
Administration
Seeks
More
Aid
for
Colombia
Drug
War
|
Celebrity
Mouth:
Fox
Bloviator
Attacks
TV
News
Legend
Walter
Cronkite
over
Drug
War
|
Feature:
The
Push
is
On
Again
in
Nevada
|
Law
Enforcement:
This
Week's
Corrupt
Cops
Stories
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Marijuana:
Two
Steps
Forward,
One
Step
Back
as
Lawrence,
Kansas,
Adjusts
Its
Marijuana
Laws
|
Marijuana:
University
of
Texas,
Florida
State
Students
Pass
SAFER-Style
Resolutions
|
High
Schools:
South
Dakota
Legislature
Overrides
Veto
to
Lessen
Student
Drug
Penalties
|
Drug-Free
Zones:
California
Homeless
Legislation
Would
Bar
Certain
Drug
Offenders
from
LA's
Skid
Row
|
Europe:
Scottish
Tories
Tip-Toe
Toward
Libertarian
Line
on
Drug
Policy
|
South
Asia:
In
Katmandu,
Hindu
Holy
Men
Smoke
Marijuana
in
Annual
Shiva
Festival
|
Weekly:
This
Week
in
History
|
Job
Opportunity:
Religious
Outreach
Coordinator,
Interfaith
Drug
Policy
Initiative
|
Weekly:
The
Reformer's
Calendar
|
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