The chilam (also chillum) is a traditional conical clay or stone smoking pipe used extensively across South Asia, particularly among Hindu sadhus and in community cannabis consumption. Unlike pipes with a bowl and stem, the chilam is a straight conical tube, traditionally smoked using a cloth filter (safi) held in cupped hands to create an air chamber. This distinctive technique requires skill to master but provides smooth, cool smoke through the hand-chamber filtration.
Chilam use carries deep spiritual significance in Hindu tradition, particularly among Shaivite sadhus who smoke as devotional practice to Lord Shiva. The act of sharing a chilam follows strict protocols—passing clockwise, speaking "Bom Shankar" before taking a draw, never letting the chilam touch lips directly. Traditional chilams are crafted from local clay fired in specific ways to withstand heat, with regional variations in shape, size, and decoration. Varanasi and other pilgrimage cities maintain artisan traditions of chilam production, with different styles for different purposes (individual use, group sessions, ceremonial contexts). The chilam represents one of the world's oldest smoking implements, with archaeological evidence suggesting similar devices used for millennia, and continues as living tradition despite prohibition pressures that have driven much cannabis culture underground.
