Pushkar is a temple town in the northwest of India. There are three incense outlets in the town - Nityam, Shiva, and Om; though it seems likely that all three outlets get their incense from the same source. Pushkar incenses are sold by Pilgrims Fair Trade as "Pushkar Temple Incense Natural Hand Rolled Masala Incense", and these are referred to in the West as "Pushkar Temple".
Nityam sell their incense in packets with a smiley face and the phrase "Keep Smiling", and these are sold in the UK by Mystic Soul. Inside the Keep Smiling/Mystic Soul envelope is a tissue wrapped packet, very similar to the "Pushkar Temple" packets, though this one doesn't have the slip of paper with the name. These sticks are 8in with 5 1/2in of paste. Some Pushkar incense sticks are the same length, while others are 9 in with 7in of paste.
There is a vanilla scent on the stick, though also the disagreeable damp pungency that has marred my experience with a number of other Pushkar incense I've tried. I have noted that ORS have reviewed a number of these Pushkar incenses, and rate some of them very highly - as among the best Indian incense they have burned. We are clearly having a difference of opinion here. I think where we agree is that these sticks have an abundance of fragrance oils, and are generally in the style which is usually termed "Flora" based on Sri Sai Flora. I have had varied experiences with these Pushkar incenses so far, and my overall opinion is that they are crudely and cheaply made in the Flora style, with the plentiful use of cheap oils supported by DEP (sold as Agarbatti Oil). Cheaply and crudely made doesn't necessarily make the finished product unpleasant - much Indian incense is cheaply and crudely made, and the results can be hugely enjoyable, especially if the scent is to your personal taste; but it can make the finished product variable, and it is known that some even well respected Indian incense producers are variable, not just from batch to batch, but within a batch as well, because of the casual way they make the incense: pouring unmeasured amounts of fragrance solution by hand from plastic jugs, etc. It is not uncommon to really like one batch, and somewhat dislike another batch. And that can sometimes happen within the same batch. If someone has a few poor batches when first encountering an incense maker, that can tend to put a negative opinion in the head which is hard to shift. And contrarywise, if one has some brilliant batches at the start, that will bring forth a positive association. Then when burning a new stick from that maker, the glass half empty/full approach will apply. As regards Pushkar incense I'm aware I have the glass half empty approach, while others, such as ORS, have the glass half full approach. Which is a long way of saying that the disagreeable damp pungency I get from the stick has fed into my negative opinion of the Pushkar incense maker, so I'm doubtful if I'm going to enjoy this stick. Whereas others may push that damp pungency from their mind, and concentrate on the vanilla scent.
Sometimes when experiencing Pushkar incense there have been memories of some incenses I have really loved, like Koya's Rasta and Heavenwood, as well as some incenses where the experience varied almost stick by stick, such as El Fragrances, and Om Brand, and I could love them one moment and hate them the next. I wonder if this is to do with the whole nature of the method of making Flora style incense, rather more than with the maker. Anyway, I am poised on a knife-edge here, faced with an attractive vanilla scent which is coupled with some creamy sandalwood as well as the damp pungency which is a blurry mix of rotting leaves, cigarette ash, and wet leather. If I was in a good mood, or had a history of positive experiences with Pushkar incense, I would see the damp pungency as adding complexity and interest (glass half full), but if I was in a bad mood, or had a history of negative experiences with Pushkar, I would see that damp pungency as evidence of crude, cheap, and ugly incense making (glass half empty). Today I have burned the Pushkar Nag Champa Sp, which was actually OK, but initially I was hesitant because of my prior experiences with Pushkar. After doing my review, I moved the Nag Champa stick into a different room. A short while later I had my lunch in that room, and as I was eating I was reflecting on how likeable the scent was, so I went back to my review and upped the score a bit, moving it from my Modest Everyday group into my Decent Stuff group. So, back to the scent on this stick. Well, I'm still a bit glass half-empty, but I am open-minded and curious about how I will react to the scent on the burn. Where it really matters.
Nityam sell their incense in packets with a smiley face and the phrase "Keep Smiling", and these are sold in the UK by Mystic Soul. Inside the Keep Smiling/Mystic Soul envelope is a tissue wrapped packet, very similar to the "Pushkar Temple" packets, though this one doesn't have the slip of paper with the name. These sticks are 8in with 5 1/2in of paste. Some Pushkar incense sticks are the same length, while others are 9 in with 7in of paste.
There is a vanilla scent on the stick, though also the disagreeable damp pungency that has marred my experience with a number of other Pushkar incense I've tried. I have noted that ORS have reviewed a number of these Pushkar incenses, and rate some of them very highly - as among the best Indian incense they have burned. We are clearly having a difference of opinion here. I think where we agree is that these sticks have an abundance of fragrance oils, and are generally in the style which is usually termed "Flora" based on Sri Sai Flora. I have had varied experiences with these Pushkar incenses so far, and my overall opinion is that they are crudely and cheaply made in the Flora style, with the plentiful use of cheap oils supported by DEP (sold as Agarbatti Oil). Cheaply and crudely made doesn't necessarily make the finished product unpleasant - much Indian incense is cheaply and crudely made, and the results can be hugely enjoyable, especially if the scent is to your personal taste; but it can make the finished product variable, and it is known that some even well respected Indian incense producers are variable, not just from batch to batch, but within a batch as well, because of the casual way they make the incense: pouring unmeasured amounts of fragrance solution by hand from plastic jugs, etc. It is not uncommon to really like one batch, and somewhat dislike another batch. And that can sometimes happen within the same batch. If someone has a few poor batches when first encountering an incense maker, that can tend to put a negative opinion in the head which is hard to shift. And contrarywise, if one has some brilliant batches at the start, that will bring forth a positive association. Then when burning a new stick from that maker, the glass half empty/full approach will apply. As regards Pushkar incense I'm aware I have the glass half empty approach, while others, such as ORS, have the glass half full approach. Which is a long way of saying that the disagreeable damp pungency I get from the stick has fed into my negative opinion of the Pushkar incense maker, so I'm doubtful if I'm going to enjoy this stick. Whereas others may push that damp pungency from their mind, and concentrate on the vanilla scent.
Sometimes when experiencing Pushkar incense there have been memories of some incenses I have really loved, like Koya's Rasta and Heavenwood, as well as some incenses where the experience varied almost stick by stick, such as El Fragrances, and Om Brand, and I could love them one moment and hate them the next. I wonder if this is to do with the whole nature of the method of making Flora style incense, rather more than with the maker. Anyway, I am poised on a knife-edge here, faced with an attractive vanilla scent which is coupled with some creamy sandalwood as well as the damp pungency which is a blurry mix of rotting leaves, cigarette ash, and wet leather. If I was in a good mood, or had a history of positive experiences with Pushkar incense, I would see the damp pungency as adding complexity and interest (glass half full), but if I was in a bad mood, or had a history of negative experiences with Pushkar, I would see that damp pungency as evidence of crude, cheap, and ugly incense making (glass half empty). Today I have burned the Pushkar Nag Champa Sp, which was actually OK, but initially I was hesitant because of my prior experiences with Pushkar. After doing my review, I moved the Nag Champa stick into a different room. A short while later I had my lunch in that room, and as I was eating I was reflecting on how likeable the scent was, so I went back to my review and upped the score a bit, moving it from my Modest Everyday group into my Decent Stuff group. So, back to the scent on this stick. Well, I'm still a bit glass half-empty, but I am open-minded and curious about how I will react to the scent on the burn. Where it really matters.
Vanilla is a fairly common and popular incense scent, especially in perfumed-charcoal incense; and is occasionally used as a base note fixative, especially in perfumed-masala incense, notably by HMS, to heighten and prolong the main fragrance. On the whole, I like vanilla, though in moderate amounts, and preferably in balance with other scents. I like it as a fixative, though less keen on it as a mono-scent. I have not rated any mono-scented vanilla incense higher than Decent Stuff. But I'm still keeping an open mind, and am curious as to how I will react to this Pushkar Vanilla with a smiley face.
:-( Sadly, from the off this Pushkar Vanilla on the burn has not impressed. There is some faint awareness of vanilla, though there is also smouldering paper. I've lit up four sticks to see if there is variation in the batch, but sadly not. There was no black smoke on lighting, something I associate with DEP, so I don't think DEP has been used here. And perhaps that accounts for the lack of an impact from the vanilla. My assumption is that synthetic vanillin has been used, as that tends to be quite effective, and is much cheaper than real vanilla. But not enough has been used. This is not an incense for me. With my glass half-empty hat on, I think this is a poorly made incense. With my glass half-full hat on, there is a soft, gentle vanilla scent here - a subtle exploration of a delicate fragrance, which is supported by some mild sandalwood. Either way, this is not for me. The opinions in the house were "smoky", "cardboard", and "delicate cotton-flower and cocoa - white flower".
:-( Sadly, from the off this Pushkar Vanilla on the burn has not impressed. There is some faint awareness of vanilla, though there is also smouldering paper. I've lit up four sticks to see if there is variation in the batch, but sadly not. There was no black smoke on lighting, something I associate with DEP, so I don't think DEP has been used here. And perhaps that accounts for the lack of an impact from the vanilla. My assumption is that synthetic vanillin has been used, as that tends to be quite effective, and is much cheaper than real vanilla. But not enough has been used. This is not an incense for me. With my glass half-empty hat on, I think this is a poorly made incense. With my glass half-full hat on, there is a soft, gentle vanilla scent here - a subtle exploration of a delicate fragrance, which is supported by some mild sandalwood. Either way, this is not for me. The opinions in the house were "smoky", "cardboard", and "delicate cotton-flower and cocoa - white flower".
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