This is the third box in the Dharma series that I've reviewed. I loved the first, Balaji Dharma Jnana Yoga, and absolutely adored the second, Balaji Dharma Abhyasa Yoga - that is currently (Nov 2024) sitting at the top of my Top Drawer as my favourite incense of the moment. The Dharma range is not widely available yet, though the decent German online shop, Ephra-World, sell them, and other Balaji, at good prices. Ephra-World have really impressed me. I think they are the best incense shop in Europe, and possibly in the world. Huge selection, good prices, and lots of really interesting, decent quality stuff.
The Dharma box is a little bigger than the standard Satya sized masala incense box, and it has a slide out tray to underline that this is a little more special than the average. The designs on the boxes in the Dharma range are the same - it is a shadow relief of Krishna and Arjuna in the chariot. There are only three horses shown in the relief, though the Bhagavad Gita mentions five (which are usually interpreted as representing the five senses), and popular paintings often show four - sometimes only two.
The perfume on the stick is delicious - coconut, resinous, woods, tonka bean, nutmeg, pistachio, whispers of green, hints of patchouli. A sensual and quite edible accord - fragrantly nutty, slightly sweet, a drizzle of sesame oil. Oh yes. Initially I had a quibble that the scents seem boxed in - that they were mostly base and middle notes, focusing on mildly sweet scents, and more like smelling baklava than smelling incense. I was thinking that I'd like more variance, and the relief of some sharp top notes. But after a pause, and returning to the stick I noticed the top notes. Citric fruits - pineapple and peach, and then florals - slightly heady like lily. Oh wow. There's a lot going on here, and stuff can be missed.
The Dharma box is a little bigger than the standard Satya sized masala incense box, and it has a slide out tray to underline that this is a little more special than the average. The designs on the boxes in the Dharma range are the same - it is a shadow relief of Krishna and Arjuna in the chariot. There are only three horses shown in the relief, though the Bhagavad Gita mentions five (which are usually interpreted as representing the five senses), and popular paintings often show four - sometimes only two.
The perfume on the stick is delicious - coconut, resinous, woods, tonka bean, nutmeg, pistachio, whispers of green, hints of patchouli. A sensual and quite edible accord - fragrantly nutty, slightly sweet, a drizzle of sesame oil. Oh yes. Initially I had a quibble that the scents seem boxed in - that they were mostly base and middle notes, focusing on mildly sweet scents, and more like smelling baklava than smelling incense. I was thinking that I'd like more variance, and the relief of some sharp top notes. But after a pause, and returning to the stick I noticed the top notes. Citric fruits - pineapple and peach, and then florals - slightly heady like lily. Oh wow. There's a lot going on here, and stuff can be missed.
The scent on the burn is quite well mannered for a Balaji. Yes, it is firm, but it's not quite as heady and overpowering as a Balaji can be. As is usual, the scent on the burn is deeper and warmer than on the stick - there's more awareness of the woods, mostly sandalwood, though some sense of agarwood as well. The florals and citric fruit hover just above the woods, creating a wholesome combination that fits like a glove. This just delivers quality. Bloody good stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment: