On this blessed day of Maha Shivaratri, it’s only right to find out a little bit about why the ultimate badman Shiva loved his weed so much. Cannabis has been consumed in India in some form or the other for centuries. In the Vedic scriptures, cannabis is one of the five sacred plants and is a source of happiness, compassion and liberation.

According to legend, Shiva once had an argument with his family, and wandered off into a field, where he slept under a cannabis plant. Upon waking up, he consumed some of the cannabis and felt instantly rejuvenated and refreshed, prompting him to adopt cannabis as his favourite indulgence.

There is another version to the story however, and it has to do with the Samudra Manthan, when the gods and demons came together to churn the ocean to obtain Amrita, the drink of immortality. A byproduct of this churning was the poison Halahala, the most venomous poison in the universe, whose fumes could kill both gods and demons.

Shiva drank this poison to protect everyone, and was later offered bhang to cool down.

This is the reason why Shiva is not just associated with bhang, but is literally known as the all-encompassing Lord of Bhang. Like I said, Hindu mythology’s ultimate badass!