The present day mass production of Agarbathies involves:
i) Making un-perfumed Agarbathies, hereinafter called "Raw Bathies" using
Bamboo stick as the back bone, wood powder & charcoal powder as absorbent & burning matter & a suitable natural adhesive material as a binder. This may be done completely manually, partially by machines or by fully machanised process.
ii) Coating liquid perfume on the "Raw Bathies" by manually dipping or sprinkling. This process slow and highly labour intensive.
Ingredients:
Typical:
MATERIAL BREAKDOWN: INCENSE STICKS - 29%
CEDARWOOD POWDER, 1% SODIUM BENZOATE, 15% GUAR
GUM, 15% LAHAM BARK EXTRACT, 10% JIGGIT FRAGRANCE,
30% BAMBOO STICK
HOLDER - 100% MANGO WOOD
MATERIAL BREAKDOWN: 29% WHITE CHIP POWDER, 1% SODIUM
BENZOATE, 15% GUAR GUM, 15% LAHAM BARK EXTRACT, 10%
FRAGRANCE, 30% BAMBOO STICK
Cones:
MATERIAL BREAKDOWN: 55% WHITE CHIP POWDER, 1% SODIUM
BENZOATE, 4% GUAR GUM, 25% LAHAM BARK EXTRACT, 15%
FRAGRANCE
Quality incense ingredients:
Ingredients: Distilled Water, Pure Ultra Ground Charcoal, Clear White Bamboo, Flower Petals, Flower Essences, Amber Resins, Sandalwood (santalum album), Cedar (cedrus deodora), Vanilla Powder (vanilla planafolia), Gum Elemi (canarium luzonicum), Gum Opoponax (opoponnax chironium koch), Gum Labdanum (cistus ladaniferus), Gum Copal (bursera ordorata), Mastic (pistacia lentiscus), Gum Dammar (shorea wiesneri), Gum Myrrh (commiphora myrrha), Makko Powder (machillus thunbergil), Tragacanth Gum (astragalus species), Gum Olibanum-Frankincense (boswellia spp.), Gum Arabic (acacia nilotica)
Combustible agent
Charcoal and/or a sawdust, particularly of sandalwood
Binding agent
 |
| Jigat powder |
*Jigat or jigat powder, made from the bark of Litsea chinensis, Machilus macrantha, or Persea macrantha
*Halmaddi, an aromatic gum resin from Ailanthus triphysa / Ailanthus malabarica. A traditional ingredient in Indian incense, though usage declined after the Indian government banned extraction of the resin from trees in Indian forests due to extensive damage to the trees. Though soft when first extracted, the resin becomes brittle as it dries, so an ingredient, such as honey, may be added to assist in working the resin during incense making. Used in incense by Mother's Fragrances, Aargee's Imperial range, and Dhuni - all of whom are UK based companies who have their incense made in India. Dhuni's incense maker has stopped supplying the company, so when Dhuni's incense stocks are exhausted, they will close their incense shop. Mattipal is a similar aromatic gum resin, from the Peepal or "Bodhi" tree.
Fragrance
Herbs, spices, flowers, essential oils, etc.
The Book of Incense: Enjoying the Traditional Art of Japanese Scents:
