I like sambrani - it is a fragrant tree resin, like frankincense, myrrh, dragon's blood, etc. It is also known as benzoin and as loban (among other names). It has a number of uses, including medicinal, as well as being a fragrance ingredient due to its fixing quality and sweet vanilla scent. It is particularly popular in India where it is burned as a single ingredient as part of a cleansing ritual. Typically when burned as part of a cleansing ritual, it will either be in a sambrani cup, such as Raj Guru Vandana Sambrani Cup, or a thick dhoop, such as Ambica Pooja Sambrani. These Chamundeshwari Sambirani Instant Sticks are thick dhoop - very dry.
Vedavyasa Parimala Works are a little known Indian incense company, though they have been producing incense in Trichy, India for nearly 50 years, and some of their products are on sale in America. These Sambirani dhoops are available from Popat Stores (UK) for £1. The title, Sree Chamundeshwari refers to the Hindu goddess Chamunda, who is a goddess of war and disease. Seems an odd choice, but each to their own.
I often read that benzoin/sambrani has a sweet vanilla scent, though that tends not to be my experience. I usually find it has a cool mineral scent, sometimes pine or medicinal. These dhoops are medicinal smelling - like Band-Aid or TCP, on the stick, though the scent on the burn is typically - for me - cool, grey mineral, though other notes come through - the TCP/antiseptic, some sweet berries, petrol, rubber, and wood. It is a cleansing, calming scent. Though, as I often find with thick dhoops and sambrani cups, it is incredibly smoky. I can't burn such dhoops for long in the house. They are best kept for the outhouse or the garden.
I often read that benzoin/sambrani has a sweet vanilla scent, though that tends not to be my experience. I usually find it has a cool mineral scent, sometimes pine or medicinal. These dhoops are medicinal smelling - like Band-Aid or TCP, on the stick, though the scent on the burn is typically - for me - cool, grey mineral, though other notes come through - the TCP/antiseptic, some sweet berries, petrol, rubber, and wood. It is a cleansing, calming scent. Though, as I often find with thick dhoops and sambrani cups, it is incredibly smoky. I can't burn such dhoops for long in the house. They are best kept for the outhouse or the garden.
It's a likeable scent, though not especially heavenly and the smoke quickly becomes intrusive, so this - for me - is not a high scoring incense. Despite health claims for inhaling benzoin smoke, due to the amount of charcoal used in these dhoops, they are best used outdoors or in a well ventilated room. Inhaling too much charcoal smoke can lead to death.
Though the scent has aesthetic qualities, due to the amount of smoke I am classing this as a ritual incense. Kinkele says that loban/benzoin has an "enveloping, soothing, protective cloak inviting us to relax and dream", which is rather nice.
Though the scent has aesthetic qualities, due to the amount of smoke I am classing this as a ritual incense. Kinkele says that loban/benzoin has an "enveloping, soothing, protective cloak inviting us to relax and dream", which is rather nice.
I've bought several loban and sambrani incense and non of them have smelled even remotely like benzoin resin. Either these descriptions have become stylized (I've had frankincense incense labelled loban before), or maybe sambrani uses another part of the styrax tree rather than the resin. Benzoin resin is sweet smelling and vanilla dominant. I'd be suspicious of any benzoin resin that isn't. Chris.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Chris. I'm going to have a rummage in my incenses and make some comparisons between those labelled loban, sambrani, and benzoin. And also do some more research on the matter. I did note that Kinkele and others do indicate that there is some loose usage of the terms.
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