India’s growing network of laughter clubs are aiming to take over the world. Grumpy old man Ben Hopkins reports

My legs buckle, my jaw aches and as a weight slips from my shoulders I’m freed from the gloom that has consumed me since having my wallet nabbed from a cheap joint in Mumbai.

“Laughter is the best medicine, my friend” bellows a corpulent phlegm sprayer to my rear. “Welcome to the Cowpatty Beach Laughter Club.” With that he wallops me on the back and yeehaws like a donkey.

Every morning of the year around 60 ‘Mumbaikars’ gather for an hour of communal games that includes impersonations of  donkeys and tractors, kicking imaginary footballs, group back patting and the occasional burst of the hockey-cokey. All of the activities are designed to produce as much laughter as possible – a huge spiritual and medical benefit for anyone who participates, claim the organizers.

“We believe laughter is the best way to cure medical diseases” says Kumar, a veteran of the club. “Since I began laughing I have stopped fighting with my neighbor and even my wife has become my friend” he explains with a look of disbelief.

The club began eight years ago after Dr. Madan Kataria held a dawn speech to a small crowd gathered on Mumbai’s Chowpatty Beach. The speech addressed the benefits of positive thinking in the pursuit of happiness. “Perhaps Dr. Madan Kataria should have been a comedian” says Kumar. “By the end of the speech everyone was laughing like crazy.”

So what did he talk about? “I have no idea” splutters Kumar between slurps of tea, “I just remember laughing.”

The practice has since mushroomed. Hundreds of laughter clubs across India have established themselves as mirthful morning rituals. Age, sex, religion and nationality are no barrier though the majority of attendees at the Mumbai gathering are elderly. “The clubs are free” says Kumar “and we want the young to enjoy the benefits of laughter yoga, but they don’t come, perhaps they’re crazy, just look at the people here, their faces are glowing.”

He’s not wrong. Howling mirth at the morning sun amongst a melee of elderly Indians is a great way to start the day. Wrinkled brows rise to reveal the wizened eyes of a generation who still have plenty to laugh about. Forget the dour economic predictions and terrorist threats, joy is something that comes from within. There have been a few commentators who’ve dismiss the practice as contrived, but as my good friend Kumar remarked, what kind of person questions the benefits of laughter?

Recently, however, a schism has developed between Dr Madan Kataria and some of the other groups. Members of Kumar’s clan claim that Dr Kataria has been making profit from the practice. “He goes out now, charging money for his speeches and making videos about the virtues of a morning giggle” Kumar complains.

“I recruit people from all walks of life for no money – prostitutes, prisoners, policemen – people with terrible jobs who need to laugh. Now when I’m in an argument with my family I learn to smile and refrain from beating my children. It could be a huge instrument for world pace.”

Benjamin Nentenjahu and Hamas officials behaving like donkeys and cracking up on the Golan Heights may be a bit far fetched but lofty ideals aside – the practical benefits of communal laughter are without doubt.

Before arriving I was down in the dumps but within minutes my inhibitions have slipped from my shoulders and I’m in stitches. Which is just as well – seeing as my next port of call will be to file a report on my stolen wallet!

Indian moments (info@indianmoments.com) offers tailor made trips top India, which can include visits to laughter clubs.

For more information on laughter clubs in Mumbai go to www.essenceoflaughter.com.