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| Second review - scroll down for earlier |
The name
Radha Rasabihari refers to the relationship of
Krishna with
Radha. Rasabihari being another name for Krishna. And also the name of an incense company,
Rasbihari Lal & Sons, whose sticks are
sold by Padma Store. I have a bunch of Rasbihari Lal samples which I might explore for a while after revisiting this stick.
Rasbirhari's Radha Rasabihari incense is sold by a number of distributors, such as
Sriji, under their own brand name,
Indian Bazaar on eBay,
Sacred Boutique, and
HareKrishnaDas in Vrindavan. It has been
out of stock at Gokula for some years, so it can be assumed they no longer sell it. There is another Radha Rasabihari incense:
Radha Raas Bihari, made by
Dhoop Chaon & Co of Mumbai. And one,
Radha Ras Bihari, sold by
Vrindavan Bazaar, who ship by India Post internationally.
This is a different stick from the one I reviewed in 2021. It is fresher and brighter. It's possible it was sent as a sample with an order I put in with Gokula in 2018 after the original samples were sent in 2013. It is a sombre incense, reasonably assertive and heady, with woods, camphor, vague herbs, some heavy floral such as rose, though not distinctively rose. There's spice or pepper, perhaps evidence of halmaddi. Fairly warm, pointing toward hot. Rose keeps fading in and out. It's an interesting and moderately attractive incense. A little crude, and while I like the earthy charm of rough and ready - certainly over something too processed or commercial, this presents as crude without the accompanying charm. However, I do find it attractive.
Date: March 2024 Score: 32
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| First review |
Continuing the mammoth Gokula binge - reviewing all the old Gokula samples I have in one session. The samples date from May 2013 so are not indicative of what a fresh pack would be like. Masala incense does last a while, certainly longer than perfumed incense, especially when kept in a cool, dark, airtight space, but some of the higher notes will evaporate over a period of eight years - I am allowing that an average of 15 points will be lost per incense. Some of the higher scoring Gokulas I will buy new once I clear my backlog, and see how they behave when fresh. Meanwhile....
The sticks are coloured red, though some of that colour has faded over time - even though always kept in a drawer. The description is: "Sweet rose and saffron with a pungent note make this a delightful incense. A Top Quality Incense!" The scent on the stick is more coconut than saffron, though there are mild ginger spices notes, and some turmeric, but sweeter. Rose is present. And some leather. Some soap. It's an appealing combination. On lighting it burns quite hot and quickly, so within a short time there is a lengthy stretch of glowing red tip. When it settles the scent is good. Mostly rose, some mild spice, faint herbal - overall more neutral than sweet, and then inclining toward vegetal - a damp autumn evening on the edge of a meadow with mature flowers about to decay. I like this. It's not lifting me, nor relaxing me, but it is gently intriguing me.
It is currently (Nov 2021) out of stock.
Date: Nov 2021 Score: 33
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Steve, there is a maker in Vrindavan, Rasbihari Lal & sons that have a line of sticks. One of the sticks is named Radha Rasbihari. I wonder if Gokula is rebranding some of this maker's sticks and marketing into the west. I have emailed Rasbihari Lal, but like many companies in India, no response. I'm not sure if you can buy directly from them. On ORS, someone mentioned Padme store in Germany as a source this maker.
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