Bangalore Incense Store Jaygee's Sahukar Chandan

 

Bangalore Incense Store was set up in 2008 by Jaygee Mavalur as an outlet for his Jaygee Industries incense company. He also sells incense under the brand name Gurugee. Jaygee's family have been involved in incense making for 60 years over three generations. Sahukar Chandan is part of Jaygee's  range of luxury boxes - large, often lavishly or elegantly decorated boxes usually containing flora style incense, or sticks close to that style - rich and heady with oils. They are the most expensive domestic Indian incense, and are not often exported (at least in the luxury box format). Chandan is sandalwood. Sahukar is a money lender or wealthy person. The name could be a reference to the richness of the sandalwood, or a general invocation of wealth and fortune, which is popular in Indian and Asian incense. 

There is an aldehydes rich perfume on the stick. Clean linen, nail varnish remover, and freezer ice. Too volatile for comfort. The scent is softer and more welcoming on the burn, though comes with scorched paper notes. On the whole I've not really got on with this stick. It's not an ugly scent - no, it seems to go out of its way to be smooth and pleasing. It feels like Jaygee has aimed for a smooth creamy sandalwood scent, but - for my taste - has gone too far into the smooth and creamy so it presents as too much like a clothes conditioner scent, and doesn't - for me - have enough of the earthy, invigorating, and interesting notes of a natural or oily sandalwood. Your mileage may vary.

Available from Bangalore Incense at 50g for £1.07 ($1.41, 125 Rupees). Bangalore Incense ships internationally. 

Date: Nov 2025   Score: 25

***

   

Jaygee's / Gurugee

Sandalwood

India luxury box incense

Bangalore Incense Store Jaygee's Javadhu

 

Bangalore Incense Store was set up in 2008 by Jaygee Mavalur as an outlet for his Jaygee Industries incense company. He also sells incense under the brand name Gurugee. Jaygee's family have been involved in incense making for 60 years over three generations. 

Javadhu is part of Jaygee's  range of luxury boxes - large, often lavishly or elegantly decorated boxes usually containing flora style incense, or sticks close to that style - rich and heady with oils. They are the most expensive domestic Indian incense, and are not often exported (at least in the luxury box format). The name, Javadhu, alludes to a local Tamil Nadu perfumed powder made from herbs and spices traditionally collected from around the Javadhu Hills in Tamil Nadu. Legend has it that the perfume was developed many thousands of years ago by Bhoga Siddar for Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war; though most academics feel that Bhoga would have lived about a thousand years ago. If there is some truth to the story of Bhoga being the creator of the perfume, then either date would make Javadhu one of the oldest perfume blends in the world - possibly older than Goose Pear Tent.  

The scent on the stick is gorgeous - sweet and spicy with sparkling champagne floral aldehydes and flutters of assorted fruits along with baby powder/talcum powder and some soft savoury gourmand elements. There's a lot going on here, though all in beautiful harmony. I love this! 

The scent on the burn takes a moment or two to settle, but when it does it is an attractive accord. Sadly, does not match the cold throw scent on the stick. Javadhu is a powder perfume, designed to be worn on the body, not to be burned. It appears to me that Jaygee has done a brilliant job of creating a beautiful Javadhu scent on the stick, as though it were the perfumed powder. But hasn't quite caught the formula for the scent when the powder is burned. The scent on the burn is attractive, though is a tad dry and harsh (I have a personal preference for soft, rich, sweet scents). It has a smell and a feel akin to scorched herbs. As I say, given time, the accord does soften, and some of the delightful details from the cold throw scent do come through, and I do like this, but it's not quite the complex beautiful harmony I was hoping for. 

Beautiful scent with a fascinating history. The scent on the burn doesn't quite deliver the promise of the Javadhu perfumed powder, but by itself it's a damn fine accord, and it leaves the room smelling divine. 

Available from Bangalore Incense at 50g for £1.07 ($1.41, 125 Rupees). Bangalore Incense ships internationally. 

Date: Nov 2025   Score: 40

***

   

Jaygee's / Gurugee

India luxury box incense

Sky Aromatherapy Variety Pack No. 1

 

Companion to Sky Aromatherapy Variety Pack No. 2 which I reviewed in March 2017. It appears I have had this pack since then, and it's time to dust it off and give it a review. I know that Sky incense products are still for sale, I see them now and again, and my review of the No 2 Variety Pack still gets readers. The sticks are made in Thailand for the Salco Group (who may have just gone out of business). There are four different fragrances - Sandalwood, Opium, Patchouli, and White Musk, each in their own packet, and the four packets are kept in another packet, which is tightly sealed, and has to be cut open. There is an April 2011 date inside the packet. 

The sticks are gaily coloured - very bright and cheerful. There is a light, delicate, fresh perfume on each of the sticks, but the scents are not distinctive. They smell pretty much the same, and I'm not interested enough to work at it to note any differences. 

The orange stick is White Musk. A synthetic scent created by Albert Baur in 1888, and much used since for its clean, inoffensive lines, which are very popular. The scent is clean and light, with an awareness of fresh linen, though also some scorched paper notes from the cheap wood paste used. I am more tolerant these days of such incense as I have burned a lot of Chinese and Japanese incense since 2017 when I reviewed Variety Pack No. 2. However, while I don't find the scent offensive, I don't find it especially pleasant or interesting. 

The green stick is Sandalwood. There's little if any sandalwood scent here. Some white wood, yes, but not fragrant. It's mainly a scorched paper smell. 

Red is Patchouli. Some volatility on the stick - cool, crisp, though more like vinegar than diamonds or frost. Perhaps something floral or linen-like. The scent on the burn is mild smoke.

The purple stick is Opium. Mild plum and musk notes, but mostly burning wood. 

While I am more tolerant of wood based Asian incenses these days, this is still a poor lot. Granted the sticks are old, but I can't imagine that even when fresh that this was a delightful product. Anyway, that's another packet removed from the current clutter on my desk. Given that we have plenty of room freshener type incense for the outhouse where we feed the cats, and much of that is actually quite pleasant, I think I'll skip the outhouse and put these straight in the bin. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 19/50

***

Variety Packs (3-in-1, etc)

Incense Around The World
(Thailand)

Om Sai Om Brand Trishala Chandan Dhoop Sticks

 

These dhoop sticks are companions to the Trishala Chandan joss sticks, which I reviewed in Feb 2024. They are decent low cost everyday synthetic sandalwood which are effective and pleasant room fresheners. 

Scent on the burn is soapy, floral, soft, enveloping, creamy sandalwood, and overall very beautiful. It doesn't smell "natural" - there's no earthiness, this is clean, cool, with linen room-freshener tones. There is likely to be sandalwood powder from Santalum album (usually known as white sandalwood or Indian sandalwood), along with oils - possibly a blend of sandalwood oil and less expensive synthetic oils, which would give the linen notes, and a touch of benzoin to smooth it out and add sweetness - there is a vanilla touch in the accord. It is a very pleasing experience - clean, smooth, and attractive with soft, creamy sandalwood notes.  Though soft, they are a tad smoky, and that can accumulate in a small space, even with ventilation. 

On the whole quite likeable as a room freshener, and good value for money if an everyday sandalwood room freshener is what you are after. 

Available for 55 Rupees (India only) direct from Om Sai Om Brand. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score:  28/50

***

Best of Om Sai (Om Brand)

Dhoop

Sandalwood

Pushkar / Vrindavan Ruhe Oud

 

Ruhe or Ruh is traditionally used in incense to signify the essence or purity of the fragrance - it would be used in a similar way to "Pure". So the idea is that this is a pure, natural oud scent. It's not frequently used, though Misbah's Fragrance is one that does, as in Ruh Kasturi, and GP is another, as in Ruh Amber. 

This Ruhe Oud is sold in Pushkar and in Vrindavan by an incense maker somewhere in India. A number of the incense houses in Pune make incense for others, and some do make incense for spiritual cities in India. Other incense houses elsewhere in India also sell incense to Pushkar and Vrindavan, so there are a number of incense houses who could be responsible for this Ruhe Oud. 

Brief Chemistry got in touch with me a few months back to say that he had four sticks, each from a different source, yet all looked and smelled the same. 

Different names and/or shops
but they all look and smell the same

One of the sticks is Sai Handicrafts Oudh, another is Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus? (the question mark is because we are unsure if this is genuinely the incense they sell as Blue Lotus, or if they made a mistake in the packaging), and the other two are this Ruhe Oud. 

I feel that the appearance and scent accord is the same in all the incenses, though the Sai Oudh is slightly different, perhaps due to a different batch. The Sai sample that Brief Chemistry sent me is the same as the pack I have, so the sticks appear to have come from the same batch. I prefer the Sai Oudh - it has a freshness and beauty and interesting details that the Blue Lotus and this Ruhe Oud do not. Plus, there are vanilla notes in this and the Blue Lotus that I didn't pick up in the Sai (perhaps due to the Sai having a stronger dose of oils that subdue the vanilla in the paste base. 

The scent on the stick is aged, mouldy, damp wood with some florals (a slight hint of violets), and faint vanilla. It is lovely, and very engaging. The scent on the burn is softer, and more rounded than the cold throw scent on the stick, which is how the others also behaved. It is a delightful scent. It's a beautiful scent. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score:  40 

***

Pushkar incense

Vrindavan Bazaar

Reviewed on ORS

Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus?

 

Vrindavan Bazaar is a shop in the holy city of Vrindavan selling a variety of Krishna related souvenirs including divine incense.  The shop doesn't make the items they sell. They present the incense as being made by local artisans. Clearly their customers would prefer the incense to be made locally in the vicinity of where Krishna played as a child. That would make the incense more auspicious. However, there is no strong evidence of a notable incense maker in Vrindavan (though Julian of The Incense Atelier has found a maker in Vrindavan he's named True Vrindavan). Much of the incense is made elsewhere, with Pune being a likely source for at least some of it. 

Blue Lotus is a scent strongly associated with HMS in Pune.  HMS have their own branded Blue Lotus, and a number of traders who are known to source from HMS also sell a Blue Lotus, such as Primo Blue Lotus. It is not a traditional Indian incense name, and though there may be other Indian incense makers who produce a Blue Lotus, I've not yet come upon one in my searches. The Blue Lotus incenses I've experienced have a blue paste, and a light and delicate scent informed by vanilla and violets. 

  

This Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus was sent to me by Brief Chemistry, along with some other incense he had bought which he noticed were pretty much the same. I agree with him - the sticks look and smell the same, and are pretty much indistinguishable. His Sai Handicrafts Oudh is a little fatter and stronger/fresher than the others, but when I compare the samples with my pack of Sai Handicrafts Oudh, I find them identical in every respect, including the glittery sprinkles (turn the sticks under a light source and the sprinkles can be seen).  While we can agree that the Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus is the same as Sai Handicrafts Oudh and Pushkar/Vrindavan Bazaar Ruhe Oud (one of the Ruhe Oud packs came direct from Vrindavan Bazaar, the other came from Pilgrims Fair Trade as a Pushkar incense), we are less certain that the Blue Lotus they sent him is the regular Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus, as the sticks on the website are shown as coloured blue, the same as all other Blue Lotus incenses. All theories are possible as to what happened - the VB shop ran out of the regular Blue Lotus, so they randomly sent some other sticks and labelled them Blue Lotus; the shop changed its contract from HMS to some other supplier in Pune who sent a different incense they called Blue Lotus, meanwhile the VB shop continues to use the original picture; or this is just a mix up by the packer. Anyone who has bought from VB will be aware of the charmingly sloppy nature of the shop, such that what you get will rarely be 100% of what you ordered, and you tend to get more stuff than you expected, as they'll throw in an extra packet or two. 

Anyway, what is clear is that Sai Handicrafts, Vrindavan Bazaar, and Pilgrims Fair Trade Pushkar Incense are all selling incense made by the same incense house. And that incense house is in Pune. Though there is some uncertainty if this is the regular Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus, I'll take it as it is until indicated otherwise. 

The scent on the stick is similar to Sai Handicrafts Oudh - rich, oily, resinous, with aged wood and florals, it is slightly softer, with a violets tinge rather than the waxy jasmine I get from the Sai. Also, this has some awareness of vanilla which is not so apparent on the Sai. Essentially the same accord, with minor scent note differences which could happen with batch variation. 

As with the Sai Oudh, the scent on the burn is softer than the cold throw scent on the stick. Quite rounded. Some sense of vanilla, which I didn't get on the Sai, but essentially the same accord. Just a little softer and less present. Woods and florals combine to create a pleasing whole, though the longer it burns the more vanilla I notice. I find this lovely, but, while it seems to me to be essentially the same accord, it is lacking the freshness and clarity of the Sai, such that I'm not picking up some of the delightful details that excited me about the Sai. 

Available at £1.03 for 20gm from Vrindavan Bazaar. They ship internationally at reasonable rates. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 40

***

   

Vrindavan Bazaar

Vinason's (VNS) Ratrani

 

I do like the warm soft retro styling on some of the older Vinason's incenses, like this one and the Dhanashri. These older styles also tend to have a more retro approach to the fragrance - soft, heady, enveloping, and highly perfumed, with a bold accent on the floral. These retro big-perfume florals don't tend to be exported to the West much these days, though they were common in the early Seventies.  Mysore Sugandhi Three Roses and Gateway of India are classic survivors, along with this VNS Ratrani. I love that some importers, such as The Incense Atelier, Padma Store, and Everest Trader, are investing in bringing over these classic Indian incenses - they make a vibrant change from the usual soft vanilla of Pune or soft sandalwood of Bangalore.

Ratrani is a night fragrance flower (Cestrum nocturnum)  in the potato family - commonly referred to as lady of the night, night-blooming jasmine, and - mostly in India - as night queen. It is not a native Indian plant, but was brought in during the British Raj as a fragrant ornamental plant, and quickly became popular. 

The cold throw scent on the stick is sweet, perfumed, floral, some icy brilliant aldehydes , a spray of  TCP antiseptic, some ripe plums, and a good dollop of fermentation. It is rich, beautiful, perhaps a tad sharp in places, and quite engaging. I love the scent - my main issue would be that the accord gathers a little too much in the same area - though this tends to be the case for older style Indian incenses. Modern accords, especially since the global success of Satya Nag Champa in the 1980s, have tended to have more balance and contrast because of Nag Champa's engaging contrast of soft creamy sandalwood with sweet yet bright waxy florals in which neither the top nor the base notes dominate, creating a harmonious whole in which base, middle, and top notes are all present at the same time. However, it's refreshing to have an incense that is so intensely focused on one aspect - the floral. My personal preference has always been for more complex and multi-faceted scents rather than single-notes, so this is not a scent that is likely to fly away in my scoring; but, phew, it is brilliantly compelling nonetheless. 

The scent on the burn is less sharp, more rounded, and has a touch of wood. It is, despite being quite heady, a gentle non-invasive scent, though it is a tad smoky. Very likable, with purple notes of violets playing around the fringes. A little too linear for my taste, and the smoky aspect I find off-putting, but all in all an incense I'm happy to burn at any time to fragrance the home. 

Vinason's is available in the UK from TheIncenseAtelier; in Europe from Padma Store (which also has useful samplers); in USA from Everest Trader; and from VNS themselves in India - if you live outside India, contact Shreyas Sugandhi at vns@vnsons.com to place your order and  arrange payment. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 32

***

Vithaldas Narayandas & Sons
Vinason's (VNS)

Night Queen

Reviewed in USA

Vinason's (VNS) Dhanashri Agarbatti

 

There's a cool Fifties vibe about the packet design of this Vinason's incense. I like it. And I like the name, which is very Indian. This isn't a name like "Indian Temple Incense" or "Hot Mumbai Nights", it's a feminine name suggesting divine prosperity, and it's a term in classical Indian music for melodic ragas - Ravi Shankar famously played the Puriya Dhanashri raga (I saw him play it at the Albert Hall in 1978). In incense, because of its associations with the divine and harmony, it would summon a beautiful, sweet, floaty, heavenly scent, perhaps using rich yet gentle florals supported by a creamy and comforting sandalwood base.  

And that's what I get: sandalwood with tiny crystals of vanilla topped with huge rose blossoms, very old fashioned, held back from being too cloying by sharper notes like parma violets. Hugely sweet. It reminds me of real old fashioned perfumed rose incenses such as Mysore Sugandhi Three Roses and Gateway of India, but more rounded and oily. 

The scent on the burn is less sweet, softer, more woody, and more charming. Less obvious. Though still somewhat old fashioned or traditional. Well, more than somewhat. This is proper old school incense. I've got such a weakness for incense like this. Camp fires, cannabis, Indian beads, progressive folk music, a spirit of kinship and eternal youth. Oooh, I love it. It's a gorgeous scent, and it evokes such memories for me, so I'm probably going to love it more than most. It even has a touch of patchouli to really take me home.....

Vinason's is available in the UK from TheIncenseAtelier; in Europe from Padma Store (which also has useful samplers); in USA from Everest Trader; and from VNS themselves in India - if you live outside India, contact Shreyas Sugandhi at vns@vnsons.com to place your order and  arrange payment. 

Date: Jan 2026   Score: 43

***

Vithaldas Narayandas & Sons
Vinason's (VNS)

Manohar Sugandhi

 

Manohar Sugandhi was founded in Pune in the 1930s, and is a third-generation family-run incense house. I've been sent five samples by Julian of The Incense Atelier who also sells on eBay under the same name. There are three known and respected incense houses in Pune, and from my quick exploration of the samples Julian has sent me, I suspect that Manohar Sugandhi will join that group as an incense house to be sought out by knowledgeable and curious incense hunters.  

 Reviews

Manohar Amber Mahal (M)
Feb 2026 - Score: 50

Manohar Gurukrupa (M)
Dec 2025 - Score: 50

   

Manohar Manohar Gold (PM)
Dec 2025 - Score: 28

Reviews: 3
High score: 50

Low score: 28

Average: 42

Conclusion: 

***

Incense Houses of Pune

The Best Incense Makers

Manohar Amber Mahal

 

Manohar Sugandhi was founded in Pune in the 1930s, and is a third-generation family-run incense house. This is the third of five samples sent by Julian of The Incense Atelier. I loved Gurukrupa - I was less keen on Manohar Gold. 

There is a rich oily scent on the stick, somewhat spicy and peppery, and tangy with tobacco, rotting wood and roses, oud, and aged leather. A little sprinkling of brown sugar. This feels slightly more Arabian than Indian, leaning into Bakhoor tradition. Though Manohar's intention from  the incense name "Mahal", which means palace (as in Taj Mahal), and their website description that Amber Mahal "embodies the essence of timelessness, inviting you to embark on a  sensory journey that connects you to the spiritual and cultural heritage of India's ancient lands. Deeply rooted in ancient traditions, this exotic fragrance has adorned temples, homes,& palaces throughout the subcontinent for centuries", suggests that Manohar wish to evoke a sense of a traditional Indian incense - something ancient, revered, and luxurious - an incense that drifted through the great palaces of India's past. And I get that as well. Though the rose and rich woods put me in mind of Persian perfumes. And I guess that just points up the rich cultural history of India. 

  

Manohar Amber Mahal in luxury box

The burn is sublime. I love it. This is my sort of incense. Bang on. Soft rich tangy woods support a wonderful interplay of heady rose and more subtle waxy florals. This is a rich palace style attar which gives a Mughal feel of luxury and opulence. It is silky and heady in a fresh gentle manner. There are sumptuous and somewhat resinous earthy tones, very grounding, very comforting, then a range of subtle spices and flecks of peppercorn which stimulate and excite, and then there's the glory of the heady rose, the waxy jasmine, and some faint, almost sparkling citrus, to bring the whole thing to life in a peacock display of olfactory beauty. This is a humdinger of an incense. I love it to bits!!!!!!!!!

Manohar incense is available in India from Manohar Sugandhi at 280 Rupees for 50gm. Outside India from The Incense Atelier at prices from £1.75 to £2.75 for 10g plus shipping. There's also a very useful sample pack of 10 different fragrances (2 sticks each) for £3.95 plus postage.  

Date: Feb 2026    Score: 50/50

***

Manohar Sugandhi

A.S. Agarbathi Works Ayurvedic Yoga

 

I've always rather liked A.S. sticks. It's just the Ayurvedic range I've had, though they produce a number of incense products - cones, dhoops, perfumed, etc. I think the Ayurvedic range is mainly aimed at the Western market - the packaging as well as the incense style is comparable with Satya and Goloka; and they are also based in Bangalore. I suspect most wouldn't notice a difference between random sticks from the three incense houses on a blind taste test. There is a familiar warm, soft sandalwood and florals scent, with attractive notes of vanilla, caramel and gentle sweet citric fruits. 

The scent on the burn is gentle, pleasant, and comfortably in the Satya Nag Champa field. It's certainly likeable, comforting, and familiar, though there's little that is distinctive about it. 

Date: Feb 2026  Score: 35/50

***

AS Agarbathi Works of Bangalore

Tulasi Poison

 

It's been a while since I reviewed Tulasi. They are a well established Bangalore incense house rather similar to HEM. They export globally, and have mainly focused on perfumed-incense, though in recent years have sold decent masala incense, such as Vidwan, as well as a popular range of Nag Champa styled perfumed-masala, such as Nag Champa & Rose. 

Poison is a popular Dior perfume created in 1985. It is not uncommon for Indian incense houses to copy the name (and the scent) of popular and glamorous perfumes, such as Opium and Shalimar. Poison is a dark, fruity, mysterious perfume with warm plum and cherry along with woods, spices, and romantic florals. The cold throw scent on the stick is sweet, quite light, with cherries and faint powdery florals. 

The scent on the burn echoes that of the scent on the stick, though is a little faded. It provides a pleasant sweet dark flowery background room fragrance. 

Date: Feb 2026  Score: 28/50

***

More Tulasi reviews