Ranga Rao Cycle Brand Parampara

  

Second review - scroll down for earlier

This is something of a classic incense, made by one of the oldest and most respected Indian incense houses, Ranga Rao, who use the Cycle brand for their most traditional and quality incense.  The fragrance bend was formulated by the founder. The pack design has changed since I last reviewed this in 2022 - it conveys an impression of the culture and tradition of India. It's an attractive and reassuring image and design, giving a feel of heritage, wisdom, and spirituality. The only words on the front of the box are the name Parampara - which means the heritage of wisdom being passed on from teacher to student. On the back it says "Traditional Incense" - previously the description was "Pure Masala Bathi". It is a standard 15g box, and is an export version. 

The scent on the stick is stunning. Like lemon sherbet supported by musky wood and a fresh Scottish breeze across hillsides of heather and spruce and spring flowers. Sweet and powdery. The scent is not defined or exact, but centres on resin and florals and lemon sweetness. 

The scent on the stick is like a sweet, lemony, resinous frankincense, underscored by white sandalwood, and sprinkled with light florals. It's beautiful, joyous, uplifting, with a hint of sexuality. A proper job masala. Nice one.  

Available from the excellent German site Ephra World at 1.95 Euros for 15g. 


Date: March 2025    Score: 43

First review

Rango Rao are one of India's most successful and revered incense companies, though are not as well known in the West, particularly the UK, as Satya or HEM or Goloka. The history and legacy of the company is detailed on their website: nrrs.com/legacy. The Cycle Brand is Ranga Rao's best known and most successful brand. 
 

Founder N. Ranga Rao with his first van

Supplies of Ranga Rao incense are random and inconsistent in the UK. This incense was recommended to me by reader Vid, who also pointed me to where it could be sourced: qualityfoodsonline. At £1.39 for 50g, this is a good value incense. It's a proper job masala with an intense fragrance hit! Parampara means tradition, and this Parampara is certainly in the tradition of good value masala. 

The bamboo sticks are fairly chunky, though the incense fragrance is strong and solid enough so that there is no awareness of  the core material - what you get is clearly what is intended you should smell. A fragrant paste is hand rolled around the bamboo, and then rolled in a finishing fragrant dust. The scent on the stick is quite floral and "scented" - there are suggestions of baby powder or talcum powder - a clean, engaging and attractive scent hovering around jasmine, vanilla, fresh clay, and sweet biscuits. Lovely. 

On burning the scent is strong enough for one stick to engage with the whole house, yet it doesn't overpower me when sitting close to it. There is halmaddi in the mix, enough to depart from sweet floral or frangipani notes and to become like warm wool, with some of the sharp pricks that tend to irritate my eyes and throat, though not so much as to annoy me. I can handle this, though my personal preference would be for a tad less halmaddi.

Parampara is a pleasing and familiar/reassuring/comforting everyday incense at an excellent value for money price. A decent, proper job, everyday, good value masala - the sort of incense that is the backbone of traditional Indian masala incense. It is not an incense that is going to excite or intoxicate - and I suspect that is not the intention. This is an incense that is likely intended to be simple and everyday - something to light to cleanse and purify and perfume the house.  And the more one comes to terms with that, the more welcoming and comforting it becomes. I suspect that this will become an integral part of my basic stock, and will be the everyday incense I reach for most often. Nice one. 

Date: Jan 2022   Score: 38 

***

Ranga Rao 

Reviewed on
Om Incense Show

Reviewed on Rauchfahne

Reviewed on
Living With Incense

Reviewed on Ratnagandh