in the indian context, coffee growing started with an indian muslim saint, baba budan, who, while returning from a pilgrimage to mecca, smuggled seven coffee beans (by hiding them in his beard) from yemen to mysore in india. he planted them on the chandragiri hills (), now named after the saint as baba budan giri (‘giri’ means “hill”) in chikkamagaluru district. it was considered an illegal act to take out green coffee seed out of arabia. as number seven is a sacrosanct number in islamic religion, the saint's act of carrying seven coffee beans was considered a religious act. this was the beginning of coffee industry in india, and in particular, in the then state of mysore, now part of the karnataka state. this was an achievement of considerable bravery of baba budan considering the fact that arabs had exercised strict control over its export to other countries by not permitting coffee beans to be exported in any form other than as in a roasted or boiled form to prevent germination.