I got this Woods from Vrindavan Bazaar ($1.40 for 20gm) because I wanted to check it against the Woods from Sai Handicrafts, as I felt that the Sai Handicrafts incense was made in Vrindavan. But it is not the same. The Sai Woods is fairly sharp and woody, whereas this Vrindavan Woods is sweet and creamy with vanillin notes. It has similarities to incense from Pune, such as made by Damodardas Bhagwandas Sugandhi and Haridas Madhavdas Sugandhi, with the use of that vanillin. At one time I even wondered if the incense sold in the holy city of Vrindavan was made by Haridas Madhavdas Sugandhi - after all, they make incense for so many traders in India and the West that being the supplier for the Vrindavan shops is plausible. But it's also likely that it is made locally in and around Vrindavan.
I'd love to go out to India and explore incense making. It's difficult to make sense of it from a distance. The women who roll the masala incense don't make the fragrant paste - that must be made by the incense house that pays them. I assume that the house delivers the paste and the sticks and the melnoorva powder to the women's houses, and then picks up the finished sticks. The shops in Vrindavan, same as those in Pushkar, appear to be just selling the locally made incense. So those local shops are not the ones in charge of making the paste - they do the selling, but not the making. My assumption is that some (large?) incense houses have premises where the women come every day to make the incense; while other (small?) houses employ women in their homes. I am assuming that there is a small incense house or individual person in Vrindavan who is making the fragrant paste, and the melnoorva, and is organising the making of the incense sticks, and the distribution to the local shops. While I am listing these sticks on my blog as "Vrindavan Bazaar" - they are just the trader, like Temple of Incense, or Happy Hari, or Bhagwan. At this moment we don't appear to know who the person or house is who is responsible for blending the oils and making the paste that is at the heart of these incense sticks.
There is a very "Indian" incense fragrance on the stick. There's wood, yes, soft and creamy, with mild spice; plus rounded sweetness with elements of honey and vanillin, fruits, and florals. Nothing very specific, but a beautiful melange that absolutely delights the senses. The scent on the burn is not as beautiful. Indeed, it is a little thin and vague. Get too close to try and pin down some scents, and it gets a bit smoky. Like Asian incense I have to wait until the scent comes to me. It is, of course, being Indian, more assertive and present than Asian incense, but it is the principle of waiting for the fragrance to unfold and drift across that I find similar. When the fragrance does arrive it is gentle, creamy, touched with vanillin, woody - a white, creamy, soft sandalwood, and mildly floral. It is attractive, though I'd like it to be a bit bolder both in strength and in style. The scent on the stick I adore. The scent on the burn I simply like. Though I suspect that I will get into this the more I burn it.
I'd love to go out to India and explore incense making. It's difficult to make sense of it from a distance. The women who roll the masala incense don't make the fragrant paste - that must be made by the incense house that pays them. I assume that the house delivers the paste and the sticks and the melnoorva powder to the women's houses, and then picks up the finished sticks. The shops in Vrindavan, same as those in Pushkar, appear to be just selling the locally made incense. So those local shops are not the ones in charge of making the paste - they do the selling, but not the making. My assumption is that some (large?) incense houses have premises where the women come every day to make the incense; while other (small?) houses employ women in their homes. I am assuming that there is a small incense house or individual person in Vrindavan who is making the fragrant paste, and the melnoorva, and is organising the making of the incense sticks, and the distribution to the local shops. While I am listing these sticks on my blog as "Vrindavan Bazaar" - they are just the trader, like Temple of Incense, or Happy Hari, or Bhagwan. At this moment we don't appear to know who the person or house is who is responsible for blending the oils and making the paste that is at the heart of these incense sticks.
There is a very "Indian" incense fragrance on the stick. There's wood, yes, soft and creamy, with mild spice; plus rounded sweetness with elements of honey and vanillin, fruits, and florals. Nothing very specific, but a beautiful melange that absolutely delights the senses. The scent on the burn is not as beautiful. Indeed, it is a little thin and vague. Get too close to try and pin down some scents, and it gets a bit smoky. Like Asian incense I have to wait until the scent comes to me. It is, of course, being Indian, more assertive and present than Asian incense, but it is the principle of waiting for the fragrance to unfold and drift across that I find similar. When the fragrance does arrive it is gentle, creamy, touched with vanillin, woody - a white, creamy, soft sandalwood, and mildly floral. It is attractive, though I'd like it to be a bit bolder both in strength and in style. The scent on the stick I adore. The scent on the burn I simply like. Though I suspect that I will get into this the more I burn it.
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