This was a gift from Julian who is starting up as a UK based trader. He popped round to discuss incense, and left this which he has fond memories of from the days when he was out in India as a younger man.
It is a mild and pleasant incense with a delicate floral perfume suggestive of lotus or hand cream, quite feminine, with touches of sherbet and candy sugar. It was developed in 1970 by Sidharth Baykeri in Mumbai as a spiritual incense with a focus on Shiva. The name, Shivranjani, means "entertains or pleases Shiva", and is used both as a personal name and as an Indian musical scale. It was launched during the annual Maha Shivarati festival with a blessing by Sathya Sai Baba. As such this incense holds auspicious associations for followers of Sathya Sai Baba and Hindus in general. Baykeri's incense house makes a range of other incenses; however, Shivranjani remains their flagship product.
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| Sathya Sai Baba blessing the incense in 1973 |
It is a pleasant and likeable incense with an auspicious history. Perhaps a little mild, feminine, and familiar for my taste, though there are scratchy woody notes to provide some balance and interest. It's an OK incense that I can see having a wide appeal.
Available in India from Shrivanjani at 300 Rupees for 6 20g packs, in the US from eBay at $15.54 for 2 15g packs or £1.75 for a 10g pack at The Ayurvedic Institute, and in the UK from eBay at £7.54 for 3 20g packs.
Date: Sept 2025 Score: 33
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