Auromere Sandalwood Purity

 

This is a Sandalwood stick from Auromere, an American non-profit organisation who follow the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, the spiritual leader who, with Mirra Alfassa (The Mother) founded the  Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. 

The sticks are a dry masala - a fragrant paste hand-rolled around a machine-cut bamboo splint, and then coated in a nurva powder (woody dust) to prevent the sticks from gluing together as they dry. The paste is dry and crumbly, and there isn't a strong aroma on the stick, though there is a vague sense of a pleasant scent. Resins, herbs and oils (or "essences") have been used in the making of these sticks, though there is low level of oils. 

The burn is gentle, with a modest, dry, woody, slightly spicy aroma that gradually informs the room. The style of the sticks, the dryness, the spice, the way the scent unfolds is in keeping with other incenses I've had from Pondicherry and the related nearby Auroville community. It's a solid, decent incense that settles in the room, cleansing it, and keeping it vibrant the next day. Ayurvedic tradition says that sandalwood is a cleansing and calming fragrance, and Kinkele says that it is "warm, soothing, and gentle". 

I like this, though it is a modest and fairly simple incense so is not as interesting or uplifting as the incenses that tend to get me excited. A wholesome and attractive incense that is not overly dramatic or assertive. Yes, quite nice. Indeed, nicer than I was anticipating. 

Date: Feb 2023   Score:  37 

Auromere Imports, USA

Sandalwood