Wispy clouds of sheesha smoke signal a young trend

Jaipur | September 17, 2005

Puffing indolently on a sheesha while your parents watch indulgently! No stretch of imagination this, not even in traditional Rajasthan where hip young things are openly smoking all kinds of stuff - fresh fruit, cappuccino and chocolate.

Time was when smoking sheesha recalled the days gone by of lofty palaces and royalty gurgling on a sheesha while lying back on a chaise lounge as the farmer sat cravenly at his feet. That scene, so familiar from countless Hindi films, is being replicated with relish - but in trendy city hangouts.

So instant recall to a sheesha for a Gen X youth might not be that feudal age, but restaurants and pubs in the city.

Called sheesha or hookah, the trend is catching on in a big way in this pink city as the cool, sizzling smoke with negligible nicotine content of .05 percent draws youngsters in droves.

Though mint, orange, cappuccino, chocolate and coke are the preferred flavours, there are also pubs that provide sheeshas with wine and whisky as the base.

Calling himself the pioneer of the modern day sheesha in Jaipur, Mahohar Singh, general manager (operations) of the Beans coffee bar, says: "It's a rare combination of smoking and good health. Smoking with your mom and dad to refresh your breath and enjoying different fruit flavours is turning out to be a real experience for Jaipur's youth."

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.

"We have registered a 20 percent boom in monthly business, selling 12-15 sheeshas per day since we introduced the concept about a year ago. In winters, figures remain somewhat higher around 35-40 sheeshas per day," Manohar Singh says.

Agrees Ajay Singh of another popular restaurant, The Rock: "The concept is picking up every day. Initially, only a few people were interested. Now we get 20-30 people daily just for the sheeshas."

The only downside is that sheesha outlets in the city, including a few five star hotels, have to restrict smoking to the garden as laws don't allow sheeshas inside.

Drawing huge response and money, some restaurants and coffee bars have decided to create a separate sheesha zone. "Our sheesha zone, which will open soon, will be developed with a typical Arabian ambience. As foreigners also throng the place, renovations are a must or it may affect business," Manohar Singh discloses.

Not that the youngsters are complaining about smoking their sheeshas outside.

"Smoking sheesha is a real thrill. It has its own elegance and charisma. Each puff is a pleasure. And spending Rs.110 for it is a no big deal," says Jitendra Kapoor.

Adds college student Khushboo excitedly: "The best thing here is that you can have it in open with your friends or even with your parents."

Says another sheesha aficionado Akil Khan: "I have been to several parts of the world and I have noticed this culture everywhere in the world. Though sheesha's have 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.