Bidi is a leaf-rolled cigarette made of coarse, uncured tobacco, tied with a string at one end. Bidis (beedis or biris) dominate the smoking market of India - for every cigarette ten bidis are smoked. The word bidi is derived from 'beeda' (a word in Marwari - a dialect of Hindi predominantly spoken by the trader caste from Marwar of Gujarat and Rajasthan), which is a betel leaf-wrapped offering of betel nuts, herbs and condiments. The beeda is a symbol of esteem, and display of respect and reverenceacross the Indian subcontinent, and the bidi gradually started being equated with it. The Indian medicinal systems, especially Ayurveda, also prescribe inhalation of the fumes of medicinal herbs, rolled in leaves. The myth of tobacco's medicinal properties along with parallels in Ayurveda, led to easy acceptance of the bidi in sub-cultures.
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