Incense In The Wind

Radiating Incense In The Wind - a painting by Hai Linh Le

Tuesday 8 February 2022

Happy Hari Kings of Incense Queen of Roses

 


Rummaging through my stock and I come upon a Happy Hari incense I've not reviewed, indeed, not even burned, the pack was sealed. Six sticks inside - "approx 10 grams of best quality temple grade incense". I've not been to India, but I have travelled around Southeast Asia, and the incense burned in and around the temples there are not the ones you want to burn at home. I suppose it would depend on where the temple is, and who was buying the incense, and what the occasion was. So if someone was wealthy and wanted to make an auspicious offering, they would buy the best quality incense. But if you had little money, but still wished to make an offering, I suppose you might buy cheap incense. If anyone knows about "temple grade incense", please get in touch! 

Temple grade incense

Oooh, the scent on the stick is divine. It's like fresh, top quality Virginia tobacco with a little spice, some sweet sandalwood, some spicy cedarwood, some grass, some marihuana weed, and- yes, of course, roses. Red roses, in full bloom on a summer's day. Sublime. There's something here which reminds me of  Koya's Nirvana, and it must be that tobacco scent. The stick is a moist (still moist) fragrant charcoal paste, hand rolled moderately to generously on a hand split bamboo splint, and then coated in a finishing wood powder or melnoorva



The scent on the burn is floral supported by sweet, slightly damp sandalwood and a touch of the St Julien tobacco scent I got from Koya's Nirvana. It's a pleasant, gently seductive scent, neither especially masculine or feminine, but carrying positive qualities of both. The feminine joy, beauty, and playfulness of the rose, and the calm austerity and masculine command of the tobacco.  I love this scent. I love the mixed gender, I love the contrast and meld of the austere and the joyful. The more it burns the more I enjoy it and don't want it to end. Yes. This is good incense! 

Date: Feb 2022   Score: 46



No comments:

Post a Comment

Please leave a comment: