Balaji are a pretty decent producer who make heady and colourful incense for the Indian market, some of which I find delightful, though they are probably too rich and passionate for most folks in the Western market, so I'm possibly in a minority. Ashish Shah of the company sent me a bunch of samples last year after reading the blog. I've not yet got stuck into them, other than a couple of the budget room-fresheners. Though last night I lit up Balaji Blue, and was reminded of why I like Balaji.
This Bel Phool isn't in the same class as Balaji Blue, but it has its moments. It's packed in a standard oblong box, the same as much decent perfumed and standard masala incense, along with the phrase "Premium Incense Sticks", which might suggest a quality product, but the contents are basic low cost everyday room freshener priced at 12 Rupees (12p) for 14g (approx 10 sticks). Though basic, the sticks are professionally made to a decent standard. 6 inches of machine extruded brown paste on an 8 inch machine cut bamboo splint. The scent on the stick is old, damp, slightly decaying flower petals, old socks, petrol, candle wax, ancient leather, and Vim scouring powder. It's actually more interesting and appealing than it sounds.
This Bel Phool isn't in the same class as Balaji Blue, but it has its moments. It's packed in a standard oblong box, the same as much decent perfumed and standard masala incense, along with the phrase "Premium Incense Sticks", which might suggest a quality product, but the contents are basic low cost everyday room freshener priced at 12 Rupees (12p) for 14g (approx 10 sticks). Though basic, the sticks are professionally made to a decent standard. 6 inches of machine extruded brown paste on an 8 inch machine cut bamboo splint. The scent on the stick is old, damp, slightly decaying flower petals, old socks, petrol, candle wax, ancient leather, and Vim scouring powder. It's actually more interesting and appealing than it sounds.
Bel Phool is another name for Arabian Jasmine - the main jasmine flower of India. Synthetics are common in jasmine perfume, and some of these synthetics (or molecules) can be more expensive, rare, and desirous than naturals. In a decent quality incense it can be hard to know what is and isn't synthetic, especially when synthetics and naturals are blended (which they often are) in order to create a more potent fragrance. Though this Bel Phool is not my kind of scent, it is well done. I am not a fan of jasmine, and many of my favourite jasmine incenses are those which - for one reason or another - are not fully on target with the jasmine scent. This Bel Phool is not playing around, it goes for the Arabian jasmine scent, and by and large creates it. It doesn't quite capture the light, playful notes, nor the sweet headiness, nor the curious, sexual musky undertones, but it is recognisably jasmine.
Date: Feb 2024 Score: 24
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I got two Balaji Bel Phool incenses but in a form of their thick dhoop sticks as one is for my Grandparents who are religious and don’t burn bamboo incense as in Hindu tradition, bamboo is used in cremation, and one dhoop sticks for myself. I burned it and I liked this fragrance, to me, it smelled like Forest essentials’ Nargis bath oil which is my FAVORITE, with a hint of fresh mogra fragrance. So far I like this one. The charcoal-less incense like this is now very trendy in India and some incense manufacturers converted some of their charcoal incenses to charcoal-less incense, like Cycle Brand did to their Sugandha Malika and Shalimar Brand did to their Lily and 4 in 1 incenses.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that your grandparents don't burn incense with a bamboo stick because of its association with funerals. I just had a quick look into Hindu Cremations. The bamboo is used for the bier, and various woods are used for the fuel. The richer the family, the better quality the wood. Very poor families apparently can't afford the wood, so they'll put the corpse into a river.
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