The deep gurgle from the base of the hookah belly, set against bohemian bolsters, has always set the tone for indolent conversations during the Nawabi eras of the past. And now, the youth of India, mainly between the ages of 17 to 24  have taken it up upon themselves to rekindle this 400-year-old tradition. Says the 20-year-old hookah aficionado Akil Khan in Bangalore: "I have been to several parts of the world and I have noticed this culture everywhere in the world. Though hookah (also known as sheesha more affectionately) has arrived late here, they are a great way to relax after a hectic day. Harking back to the past, sheeshas are certainly a fad of the future — the wispy clouds of smoke heralding another must-have, must-try trend".

Part the transparent plastic curtains at Bombay-Bandra's Café  Mocha, and you are bound  to stumble upon the Dragon's Lair (also known as the air-conditioned section for sheesha smokers who want to smoke in comfort). Then you have college student  Sandeep Singh who spends at least two nights a week at Days Inn' Kebab Hut in Vashi city of New Bombay. "We came up with the idea four years ago. After a slow start when people were not even aware of what a sheesha was, today, we cater to a heady mix of youngsters, families and even young women who are willing to try out various flavours,"  says Days Inn manager Arun  Mathur. 

For the owners of Jaipur's coffee bars and pubs, it makes good money sense too. A sheesha in the city costs anywhere between Rs 110 and Rs 130 and lasts for about 40 minutes. Though much lower than national capital Delhi's rates of Rs 450-500, the arithmetic still works.

So why is that the hookah, after spending years in oblivion, has suddenly become  fashionable yet again?
The answers researchers got from almost all those, when asked why  they like smoking  the hookah, was that it gave them a feeling of power. "Blowing rings from a hookah gives that magical and misty feeling, while cigarette smoke gives me a headache," says Priyanka Sen, a college student  in New Delhi.

Flavoured smoke

Regular: Sheesha flavours  start with the regular apple, strawberry and mint. (average price Rs 150 to Rs 200)
Premium:  includes  juice and  rose, where the water normally  bubbling inside the hookah  /sheesha  is replaced  with juice or milk for added  flavour and creaminess. (average price Rs 200 to Rs 250)

Deluxe : Champagne, red wine and flavoured rum. In this case, water in the hookah/sheesha is replaced with your choice of alcohol. (average price Rs 400)

Alcohol hookahs: These include  whiskey, vodka and tequila. (average price Rs 300).  Mocktail and cocktail hookas : Long island Ice Tea and Margarita, instead of water.   (average price Rs 250 to Rs 400)

Hope you know

One extensive report on hookahs/sheeshas was published in  2005 by the World  Health Organisation.  It found that in a single smoking session, cigarette smokers typically took 8 to 12  puffs and inhaled  0.5 to 0.6 litres of smoke over  five to seven minutes. In contrast, hookah smokers may take 50  to 200  puffs of up to a litre of smoke each during a single session. The water pipe smoker may therefore inhale as much as a smoker would  inhale consuming 100 or more cigarettes, the report said.

The bottom line: Hookahs can be just as  hazardous as cigarettes.

Maharaja Features