If an Indian incense has Vrinda (or Tulsi) in the name, it will refer to basil. However, though it means "basil forest", Vrindavan does not refer to an abundance of basil, it refers to the holy city of Vrindavan in North India where Krishna spent most of his childhood. As such, an incense maker is free to use their imagination as to how to evoke the image of that connection. A popular name is Vrindavan Flowers to suggest the flowers that Krishna would have walked among and smelled. There is a floral element to these sticks, but they are more about sweet spice - cinnamon and nutmeg, with a touch of orange or neroli, hints of coconut, and some light woods as a base, though the scent on the stick (as is common) is more about the top notes. It's a little sharp and eager, with an icy volatility that is off-putting, but overall quite attractive and interesting, and suggestive of a good burning experience.
There's black smoke on lighting the stick. Though not conclusive, this is suggestive of heavy use of agarbathi oil /DEP, and that ties in with my prior experience of Pushkar incense as well as low cost incense in the "Flora" style. When I lit up the first stick I left it on my desk after taking the photo. I tend not to do that these days, preferring to burn incense at a little distance from me, but I forgot. Phew! It's very heady, and I needed to move it away quite quickly!
As is common, the warm scent on the burn is deeper and heavier than that on the stick. The burn scent is more about woods and musks. The florals, orange, and spices could be there, and I might be persuaded of that, but mostly what I am getting are warm base notes. Nothing deep or earthy or sexy or rich. Just a fairly simple and basic warm base. Some herbs eventually come in. But there's not enough going on with this Vrindavan to attract or hold my interest. But there is a general muggy oppressiveness about the smoke, and a little smarting in the eyes and nose. All in all, an OK incense; a little crude and basic, but in a large space, it makes a useful warm room freshener.
There's black smoke on lighting the stick. Though not conclusive, this is suggestive of heavy use of agarbathi oil /DEP, and that ties in with my prior experience of Pushkar incense as well as low cost incense in the "Flora" style. When I lit up the first stick I left it on my desk after taking the photo. I tend not to do that these days, preferring to burn incense at a little distance from me, but I forgot. Phew! It's very heady, and I needed to move it away quite quickly!
As is common, the warm scent on the burn is deeper and heavier than that on the stick. The burn scent is more about woods and musks. The florals, orange, and spices could be there, and I might be persuaded of that, but mostly what I am getting are warm base notes. Nothing deep or earthy or sexy or rich. Just a fairly simple and basic warm base. Some herbs eventually come in. But there's not enough going on with this Vrindavan to attract or hold my interest. But there is a general muggy oppressiveness about the smoke, and a little smarting in the eyes and nose. All in all, an OK incense; a little crude and basic, but in a large space, it makes a useful warm room freshener.
All the Pushkar incense marked as "Mystic Soul" came from Mysticsoul108.co.uk. The packets were £3 for 50g, so very cheap. I also got the cute and colourful hand-painted ash-catcher from the same shop for around £3. Great value for money. The site is currently down for me, but I've put the live link up as it may come back. Here's a WayBack link to Mystic Soul's info on the Pushkar incense sticks: Mystic Soul Incense ("Mystic Soul Incense is sourced from a small family run business from the city of Pushkar in India. The ingredients used in the incense are 100% natural and sourced from all across India but mostly from the state of Gujarat and from around the city of Mysore. The bamboo used to make the incense sticks comes from the state of Kerala. ... Mystic Soul Incense is made by hand in a traditional/authentic way. The ingredients are first boiled to make a paste, then hand rolled onto bamboo sticks, once dried they are sprayed with essential oil before finally being covered in wooden fragrance powder.") That sounds about right, though I suspect there is very little essential oil being used in comparison to fragrance oils (synthetic) and agarbathi oil (DEP).
Date: Jan 2025 Score: 25
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