HOOKAH IN QUEEN`S PALACE

Hindi

(It’s a looking mirror and this art is known as Mirror Engraving)

In this painting the artist have shown a scene of Ranivas i.e. Queen’s palace, where we can see that king, after his meal is enjoying hookah sitting by his pillow with his queen and other maidservants are also there. In this painting we can also see,other Queen is serving wine to the king. From the lightening candles we can understand that all this is enjoyed at the night time. The engraved detailing by the artist in this painting makes it beautiful, different as well as unique. There is no record of tobacoo use in India before Akbar. It is said that once a Portuguese named Vernel visited Akbar’s court then he gifted Akbar tobacoo and a chillam. Badshah Akbar liked that Chillam very much and learnt the technique of having it from that portugue itself. By seeing Akbar smoking, his ministers were surprised and they also had wish to take smoke in their throat and again blow it out. In this way near aboput 1609, smoking was started in India. According to some ancient writers tobacoo was first brought by one of the Akbar’s Minister from Bijapur and gifted it to Akbar as a pesent. After that Indian people used totake tobacoo in chillam. Begining of Hookah in Mughal Period: In ndia hookah was started during Mughal Period. During Akbar a person named Abdullah invented this Hookah and according to him if we smoke tobaccoo through water then it ill cause o harm to our health, but later this was proved wrong. In Mughal period when this Hookah trend was started then after having dinner king used to go to the Queen’s palace to have Hookah. It was one of the important art of the day when King and Queen at Queen’s palace used to have alcohols, wine, fruits along with hookah. At the mid of the night in lime light of chandelier (jhoomer) Raja with his queen and other maids used to enjoy Hookah.