Boudhanath Himalayan Rope Incense Sandalwood

Made by Buddist monks at the Boudhanath stupa (shrine) in Nepal, and bought from Sound Travels for £1.20, this is a new way for me of burning incense. The fragrant powder (in this case sandalwood) is rolled tightly inside rice* paper which is then twisted into a shape resembling a rope.

Sandalwood powder is
rolled inside rice* paper

I wondered how to burn it, and note on the internet that there are Himalayan rope incense burners - one type burns them hanging from a wire, another appears to hold them in some form of brass clothes peg. I shoved mine into a dhoop holder, which worked fine.

Two different rope burners

The scent is fairly basic, and smelled a little of firework paper burning, and faintly of poor quality sandalwood. I love the idea and the appearance, and might try another one, but I think this seems to be more about the visual idea than the quality of the aroma.

*After doing a bit more research, I think the "rice paper" covering is likely to be lokta paper, which is a natural, handmade paper unique to Nepal.

Date: June 2017   Score: 20

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Himalayan incense
Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan