There are various methods of smoking a chillum; usually the charas or marijuana is mixed with the tobacco. We discuss here some of the methods used in different places.

According to the Hindu ritual a cloth is wetted, the stone inserted and after that the herb is placed in the chillum till full capacity. The chillum’s mouth piece is cupped between two hands so that the person can inhale the smoke without touching the chillum with his lips. A match is lighted at the moment and before the smoke is inhaled various incantations to Shiva will be chanted. The chillum needs to be well ignited by the smoker and then is passed to the person on the right, while the right arm is supported with the left hand.

In the Rastafari Ceremony a chillum is used for rituals in Rasta sessions and is made of a cow’s horn with a large conical wooden bowl.

Chillums should be properly cleaned. A simple method of cleaning a chillum is by rubbing the chillum’s inside with a cloth. But this might not remove the bacteria in the chillum’s mouthpiece. So an effective way for removing the bacteria is through soaking the chillum in very hot bleached water and then cleansing with clean water. This helps in removing the bacteria and other viruses which may get transferred to other users when shared. In fact glass chillums are easier to clean and are thus less prone to bacteria than wooden chillums which are more susceptible to spreading bacteria.