Tome And Plume: Little … Little… Swill Adds To Bhopali Feel

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): “One should always be drunk. That’s all that matters… But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you choose. But get drunk.” – Charles Baudelaire

Pubs in Bhopal are not as numerous as in the metro cities. But that does not mean the people living in the City of Lakes avoid a pint. Or, they are teetotallers.

Even when Covid-19 was burning through human lives across the world, and the wine shops were shut, the tipplers in Bhopal had the guts to collect a bottle or two to slake their parched throats and aching hearts.  

According to a rough estimate, the disciples of Bacchus consume nearly 40,000 litres of various brands of firewater a day to keep their appetite for drinks alive.

It is, however, not known when the Bhopalis took to drinking, for there are no records to justify any claim on it.

Yet, because the history of the city and its nearby areas traces back to the Mesolithic Age, as evidenced in the rock shelters of Bhimbetka near the capital city. Thus, its recorded connection with human civilisation is more than 10,000 years old.

Drinks made from Mohua by the tribal people in different parts of the state indicate our ancestors, living in cave shelters, were acquainted with spirits.

The Rig Veda cites Soma, a ritualistic drink, and Sura, close to modern beer. Soma was for the kings or for those who belonged to the royal families.

But the tribal people made drinks from rice, flowers, grasses, and Mahua, which may have been available to those who were living in cave shelters.

Traditional alcoholic drinks like toddy (palm wine) and Handia (rice beer) are still available in rural areas, especially in the areas dominated by the tribal people across the state.

Toddy plays an important role in the social and cultural life of the tribal people in the state.

If a traveller wishes to return to the past, he can enjoy a glass of toddy in rustic settings. There are over a dozen such retailers on the outskirts of the city.

Today, many Bhopalis prefer beer (sura) to other drinks, but the tribal people still have a penchant for traditional toddy.

Mead, a foreign liquor, as historians say, entered India with Alexander’s invasion of the country. But it is not known whether the people on those days called Mead or by some other name after its arrival in India.

An alcohol, made from herbal ingredients in Madhya Pradesh and called Mond, seems to have originated from mead, but there is no history behind it. It has a flowery tang and an elegant odour close to Scotch.

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The foreign liquor, especially Scotch and whisky, entered India during British rule, which caused a setback to local alcohol makers.

During the rule of Nawabs, European and local alcohol was available in the city.

The state government’s strict anti-liquor rules and agitations by politicians and social workers against opening wine shops have failed to prevent Bhopalis from tossing off.

The number of tipplers, rather than decreasing, is shooting up with each passing day. The rising number of accidents because of drunk driving means little to Bhopalis.

As a society, the residents of the city have always thought of drinking as a bit naughty. If you talk of it in public, they will feign resistance. Yet, whenever you talk of ‘little… little… (a cheeky pint in local terms)’ to someone in a close corner, his eyes begin to sparkle. Among the youngsters, if someone does not drink, he is considered an anomaly.

Those who have chosen to keep away from drink or rarely had a wallop have been subject to peer pressure. The youngsters in the city say, “Let’s grab a pint today and enjoy it. Who has seen tomorrow?”

There is a popular saying in Bhopal, a hub of Urdu poetry. A drop of spirit in your stomach makes you spiritual.

And when that happens, you may cite Bashir Badr’s words, sitting in an isolated place: “Mujhe Gilass Bade de Sharab kam kar de! (Hand me a bigger glass; let there be less wine) …”