Hari Om Ganesh Arti Dhoop Bathi

 

Hari Om sent me some samples a while ago for review, and this was one that I missed. It is a crude masala-powder-on-charcoal incense stick. Names for different incenses in India do sometimes puzzle and amuse me. "Dhoop" I understand to be incense sticks or cones without a bamboo core made from natural ingredients, yet this has a bamboo core. The "Bathi" part I understand to mean stick. So I assume that "Dhoop Bathi" is, in a sense, another name for "masala" or "natural" incense because it is made from a masala (powdered mix of ingredients) of natural ingredients. I'm not sure if there is actually an official term for what in the West we usually term "masala", while in India it is usually (but not always) termed "natural", and can sometimes - as here - be termed dhoop. It's like the way that brewers use terms like "Premium Lager" or "Lager Beer" or "Export Lager" or "Pilsner" or "Pils" or "Craft Lager" to mean roughly the same thing, and then use "IPA" to mean a variety of things ranging from an everyday low hopped session bitter, to an alpha acid hop heavy strong beer, and to use "Porter", "Strong Mild", "Stout", etc, to mean roughly the same thing, while "Saison" can mean a variety of beers of differing strengths and composition and flavour. Such is life and the world of commerce.

This is a pleasant incense. On the stick there is a gentle, sweet vanilla and sandalwood scent drifting toward flowery, with some butter popcorn and salt. Rather nice, but stopping a few yards short of heavenly. On burning it is again quite gentle, but not wimpy. The incense does inform the room and make itself known, but it is not assertive; though it does have a certain amount of halmaddi which tends to be slightly prickly (for me).  On this occasion the halmaddi approaches prickly, but then eases back so it becomes a warm and almost comforting lambs wool experience - not quite a scent, more of a sort of memory of a closeness to lambs wool. I like this. It's a decent quality masala - above everyday, but not quite heavenly. It burns very well. If there was a known UK brand name to this, like Happy Hari, or Temple of Incense, then it would sell at a decent price and be appreciated. It's a shame that, other than existing well known Indian brands like Satya, most people are cautious about buying Indian brands, preferring Western brands. I suppose it partly comes down to marketing, and partly due to a lack of confidence in knowing what brands will work. In our family we are comfortable with trying out new brands for all sorts of goods, and enjoy doing taste tests. In our experience, we often prefer the supermarket own brands to the market leading brands, or - at least, when there isn't a huge difference in taste and quality - don't see the value in paying extra for the brand name. Other people (and I think this is the majority of people) feel more reassured in buying the known name, and are happy paying the extra for that reassurance. You pays your money and makes your choice - risk it for a biscuit, or play safe pay extra and don't be disappointed.  


Date: Oct 2021   Score: 40 

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Hari Om Fragrance