legend in a Line : A Sufi saint is said to have smuggled seven coffee seeds from Yemen to India — and planted them in the hills of Karnataka
Who was Baba Budan? : A Sufi saint revered in southern India. Locals credit him with bringing coffee to the Chikmagalur hills
How did he do it? : The popular version: he hid seven green coffee beans in his beard (or garments) to evade Yemeni export controls
A sacred number : Seven is often considered sacred in Islamic tradition — the number appears in many retellings of the tale
Chikmagalur: the first plot : The beans were reportedly planted on the Chandradrona/Baba Budangiri hills — the region is still known for coffee
Legend vs. evidence: Historians treat the Baba Budan story as a widely‑told legend. There is no contemporary Yemeni record proving the smuggle; the story survives in regional tradition
More than a myth : Whether exactly true or not, the story explains the origin of a major Indian coffee culture and place names (Baba Budangiri)
Some versions say he hid seeds in his staff or garments rather than beard; dates vary (1600s–1700s) across accounts.
legend says a Sufi saint smuggled 7 coffee beans from Yemen and planted them in Karnataka, seeding India’s coffee story.