Reviewed these five years ago, when I was somewhat obsessed with finding halmaddi in the incense I was burning, but I hadn't yet starting exploring flora / fluxo incense. Looking at and burning these sticks today, they present to me now as flora sticks - they are bigger, fatter and richer than standard masala incense. And while today the paste on the sticks is hard and dry, it is clear that they were oil rich at one time, which is a feature of flora incense. Though, given that a number of flora sticks are quite cheap and the scent is often heady but also crude, I doubt if many flora sticks are rich with pure attars (essential oils), and are more likely to be rich with fragrance oils.
At the time I was obsessed with halmaddi, I would detect a scent that I would describe as like warm sheep wool, though also prickly, and that it would sting my eyes. I made this association because sticks that said they had halmaddi would often have this scent, and would give me that reaction, so my assumption was that it was the halmaddi which provoked that reaction, and had that scent. Now I'm not so sure as I also get a eye sting reaction from some fragrance oils; however, I have bought some halmaddi resin, and on burning I had the scent, and the reaction I had been encountering, so it is still possible that it is a personal halmaddi reaction.
On burning this stick again, I find it moderately attractive. Yes, there is a sharpness about it that is off-putting, and which I am unsure is due to the halmaddi or to the fragrance oil, but there's also a half decent brown scent which is somewhat woody and musky. It burns slowly and steadily. Yeah, it is a bit meh, but it's also quite pleasant. A stick like this could easily find its way into any modern own brand collection and be accepted. It's OK.
I've looked again unsuccessfully for who makes these. What I now think is that Pavitra is Pavitra Creations, a jewellery company in Bangkok who did at one time sell incense they either commissioned or bought in. They don't appear to have sold incense for some time, so I am marking this and the other Pavitra - Pavitra Natural Incense Mayapur Frakincense - as vintage incense and removing them from my main list.
Date: Oct 2023 Score: 30
At the time I was obsessed with halmaddi, I would detect a scent that I would describe as like warm sheep wool, though also prickly, and that it would sting my eyes. I made this association because sticks that said they had halmaddi would often have this scent, and would give me that reaction, so my assumption was that it was the halmaddi which provoked that reaction, and had that scent. Now I'm not so sure as I also get a eye sting reaction from some fragrance oils; however, I have bought some halmaddi resin, and on burning I had the scent, and the reaction I had been encountering, so it is still possible that it is a personal halmaddi reaction.
On burning this stick again, I find it moderately attractive. Yes, there is a sharpness about it that is off-putting, and which I am unsure is due to the halmaddi or to the fragrance oil, but there's also a half decent brown scent which is somewhat woody and musky. It burns slowly and steadily. Yeah, it is a bit meh, but it's also quite pleasant. A stick like this could easily find its way into any modern own brand collection and be accepted. It's OK.
I've looked again unsuccessfully for who makes these. What I now think is that Pavitra is Pavitra Creations, a jewellery company in Bangkok who did at one time sell incense they either commissioned or bought in. They don't appear to have sold incense for some time, so I am marking this and the other Pavitra - Pavitra Natural Incense Mayapur Frakincense - as vintage incense and removing them from my main list.
Date: Oct 2023 Score: 30
Crudely made masala sticks of varying thickness. Quite oily and damp with a heady oily aroma of sandalwood, halmaddi, wood oil, and roses. Not much awareness of musk - this is too bright and high. Burns slowly with a poorly defined aroma - it smells like some halmaddi has been used, but there's few masala fragrant ingredients for it to amplify. It's an OK smell, but it's a little sharp, ill-defined, and crude. This is the masala equivalent of a cheap and crude perfume-dipped incense where all you get is the base sandalwood sawdust. Here what you get is the base sawdust and some damp ill-defined vague masala.
I am not a lover of halmaddi - having an incense that makes my eyes sting is not a delight to me. This stick isn't harsh like The Mother's, or the Anvenor I was burning yesterday, where the halmaddi is loaded on, this has its harshness, but is much more gentle, suggesting that what halmaddi there is, hasn't been applied liberally. It's just that there is little else in the fragrance mix to complement it.
Meh! It's OK, and I'm gradually liking it more and more. There is a hint of sweet musk in there, but I'm not blown away. Yeah - it's a decent enough everyday incense. Nothing offensive here.
I can't remember where I got this packet. I suspect it was from a shop, perhaps in Glastonbury, as I have no record in my online dealings. I can't find details on Pavitra on the internet - the web address given on the packet is no longer working. There is a Pavrita Incense Sticks page on Facebook, but that hasn't been updated since 2013, and appears, anyway, to deal in perfumed-dipped incense rather than masala. That appears to be the same company listed on IndiaMart. So, a dead end.... Anyone know?
Date: April 2018 Score: 27
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| Vintage Incense (Incense unavailable from this brand for over a year) |
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