Fascinating.<p>One of the ‘farm show and tell stories’ I like to tell people is about Datura/poison apple..a common weed here..and also in India..re: how Thugees used Datura Stromonium (Jimsonweed) to make the potential drowsy or lose consciousness before they looted them. It is similar to the South American Scopolamine which is responsible for numerous crimes.<p>I absolutely love datura..it is incredibly fragrant when it blooms at nighttime and it attracts all kinds of nocturnal insects and pollinators.. and is considered a moon garden plant. The rest of the plant stinks. The flowers are almost narcotic in fragrance.<p>It is toxic and like all things poisonous, it’s is also a folk medicine. It is also beloved to Lord Shiva. So I had always assumed that because of that association, thuggees were always Hindus on the fringe..spiritualists with an irreverence to organized religion..like Aghoris and Naths. Thanks.