Manohar Sugandhi

 

Manohar Sugandhi was founded in Pune in the 1930s, and is a third-generation family-run incense house. I've been sent five samples by Julian of The Incense Atelier who also sells on eBay under the same name. There are three known and respected incense houses in Pune, and from my quick exploration of the samples Julian has sent me, I suspect that Manohar Sugandhi will join that group as an incense house to be sought out by knowledgeable and curious incense hunters.  

 Reviews

Manohar Amber Mahal (M)
Feb 2026 - Score: 50

Manohar Gurukrupa (M)
Dec 2025 - Score: 50

   

Manohar Manohar Gold (PM)
Dec 2025 - Score: 28

Reviews: 3
High score: 50

Low score: 28

Average: 42

Conclusion: 

***

Incense Houses of Pune

The Best Incense Makers

Manohar Amber Mahal

 

Manohar Sugandhi was founded in Pune in the 1930s, and is a third-generation family-run incense house. This is the third of five samples sent by Julian of The Incense Atelier. I loved Gurukrupa - I was less keen on Manohar Gold. 

There is a rich oily scent on the stick, somewhat spicy and peppery, and tangy with tobacco, rotting wood and roses, oud, and aged leather. A little sprinkling of brown sugar. This feels slightly more Arabian than Indian, leaning into Bakhoor tradition. Though Manohar's intention from  the incense name "Mahal", which means palace (as in Taj Mahal), and their website description that Amber Mahal "embodies the essence of timelessness, inviting you to embark on a  sensory journey that connects you to the spiritual and cultural heritage of India's ancient lands. Deeply rooted in ancient traditions, this exotic fragrance has adorned temples, homes,& palaces throughout the subcontinent for centuries", suggests that Manohar wish to evoke a sense of a traditional Indian incense - something ancient, revered, and luxurious - an incense that drifted through the great palaces of India's past. And I get that as well. Though the rose and rich woods put me in mind of Persian perfumes. And I guess that just points up the rich cultural history of India. 

  

Manohar Amber Mahal in luxury box

The burn is sublime. I love it. This is my sort of incense. Bang on. Soft rich tangy woods support a wonderful interplay of heady rose and more subtle waxy florals. This is a rich palace style attar which gives a Mughal feel of luxury and opulence. It is silky and heady in a fresh gentle manner. There are sumptuous and somewhat resinous earthy tones, very grounding, very comforting, then a range of subtle spices and flecks of peppercorn which stimulate and excite, and then there's the glory of the heady rose, the waxy jasmine, and some faint, almost sparkling citrus, to bring the whole thing to life in a peacock display of olfactory beauty. This is a humdinger of an incense. I love it to bits!!!!!!!!!

Manohar incense is available in India from Manohar Sugandhi at 280 Rupees for 50gm. Outside India from The Incense Atelier at prices from £1.75 to £2.75 for 10g plus shipping. There's also a very useful sample pack of 10 different fragrances (2 sticks each) for £3.95 plus postage.  

Date: Feb 2026    Score: 50/50

***

Manohar Sugandhi

A.S. Agarbathi Works Ayurvedic Yoga

 

I've always rather liked A.S. sticks. It's just the Ayurvedic range I've had, though they produce a number of incense products - cones, dhoops, perfumed, etc. I think the Ayurvedic range is mainly aimed at the Western market - the packaging as well as the incense style is comparable with Satya and Goloka; and they are also based in Bangalore. I suspect most wouldn't notice a difference between random sticks from the three incense houses on a blind taste test. There is a familiar warm, soft sandalwood and florals scent, with attractive notes of vanilla, caramel and gentle sweet citric fruits. 

The scent on the burn is gentle, pleasant, and comfortably in the Satya Nag Champa field. It's certainly likeable, comforting, and familiar, though there's little that is distinctive about it. 

Date: Feb 2026  Score: 35/50

***

AS Agarbathi Works of Bangalore

Tulasi Poison

 

It's been a while since I reviewed Tulasi. They are a well established Bangalore incense house rather similar to HEM. They export globally, and have mainly focused on perfumed-incense, though in recent years have sold decent masala incense, such as Vidwan, as well as a popular range of Nag Champa styled perfumed-masala, such as Nag Champa & Rose. 

Poison is a popular Dior perfume created in 1985. It is not uncommon for Indian incense houses to copy the name (and the scent) of popular and glamorous perfumes, such as Opium and Shalimar. Poison is a dark, fruity, mysterious perfume with warm plum and cherry along with woods, spices, and romantic florals. The cold throw scent on the stick is sweet, quite light, with cherries and faint powdery florals. 

The scent on the burn echoes that of the scent on the stick, though is a little faded. It provides a pleasant sweet dark flowery background room fragrance. 

Date: Feb 2026  Score: 28/50

***

More Tulasi reviews

BIC Little Angels

 

BIC (Bharat Industrial Corporation) is an incense house based in Bangalore, which was established in 1965. They are popular and successful, with good exports - mainly as a mass-market room-freshener incense house, along similar lines to HEM (though they also do decent perfumed-masala, such as Devasthanam). Their main product is the delightful Panchavati Dhoop Stick. They no longer make or design their own incense - since 2020, a separate company, owned by Balaji, and sharing the same initials,  Bindu Incense Craft, was set up to make and distribute incense for BIC. Ashish Shah, the nose behind many of Balaji's best scents, is now in charge of Bindu Incense Craft, and has been developing new scents for BIC. 

Little Angels is part of a big bundle of samples that was sent to me a year or two back, which until now I hadn't got around to reviewing. It's a hex box of perfumed sticks, much in the manner of HEM. The blurb on the packet says "To please and strengthen your guardian angel!". The cold throw scent on the stick is mild but sharp and brilliant florals inclining toward violets, with a touch of powdery aldehydes. It's pleasant, familiar, and as expected.  

The scent on the burn is gentle and sweetly floral. It's a pleasant everyday room freshener. I'd like it to be doing a bit more, but it is quite acceptable as it is - perhaps suitable for a feminine bedroom on a sunny Sunday morning. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 27/50

***

BIC / Panchavati

Monsoon (Good Incense/Bhagwan) Floral Bouquet

 

One of a large collection of samples that Eugene of Bhagwan Incense sent me a couple of years ago. Eugene splits his incense shop into two brands  - Bhagwan Incense, and Monsoon Incense (previously called Good Incense). The incense sold via the Monsoon brand is a lower cost than the regular Bhagwan brand, though at least one incense has been moved from the budget brand to the main brand. I'll be getting down to finishing off my reviews of both the Monsoon/Good incense and the Bhagwan branded incense this year, though it may be a while before I get to it. In the meantime, I'm lighting up this random packet from the collection. 

This is a perfumed-masala stick in the flora style.  It consists of what appears to be a charcoal paste, machine-extruded onto a plain, machine-cut, bamboo splint which has a red tip. The paste would likely have a variety of ingredients other than just binders and combustibles - it may have some of the stick's fragrances and fixatives. However, the bulk of the scent appear to come from fragrances added after the stick was extruded. The cold throw scent on the stick is ripe with fragrance oils, rich with diamond sharp aldehydes, and heavy with damp old leather, possibly from benzoin and/or patchouli. There is a coating of brown powder which was traditionally called melnoorva - mainly used to prevent sticks from gluing together while drying, though these days is mainly known as "masala powder" - which is generally perfumed, and is often used to give the stick a masala appearance. Rose, vanilla, aldehyde, and damp leather are the prominent notes, and it is compelling and attractive fragrance. 

The scent on the burn is softer than I expected after the weight of the oils on the stick. And is quite clean - moderately smoky, but that's because I have it a little close to me - around 2-3 foot away - because the fragrance has a gentle start, and I'm impatient to get going. The accord is similar to that on the stick, which is common with incense sticks where much of the fragrance has been applied externally, so is readily available. There is a great balance between the heavier, somewhat darker tones - vanilla, leather, soft, old tobacco, and musk; with the bright florals and dazzling  aldehydes - it's like beauty and the beast dancing together, spinning away, throwing off young, girly, and scintillating rays of diamond sharp jasmines and rose, with the musky, authoritative tones of aged and mouldy leather.  A great combination. I love this. 

The description on the website says: "A unique mix of Rose, Vanilla Tonka beans and Patchouli on a generous halmaddi base. Full of delicate citrusy flowers and honey", and that pretty well matches what I've experienced - though I didn't pick up any halmaddi. Which is fine for me, as I'm not a fan of the substance. I prefer frankincense as a fixative. Yeah, nice one. 

Available direct from Monsoon at 2.50 Euros for 15g, plus shipping. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 43/50 

***

Bhagwan Incense

Best floral incense

Flora, Fluxo, and Supreme

Om Sai Om Brand White Musk Dhoop Sticks

 

As is often the case with dhoop sticks, the box comes with a useful small clay holder, this one has a cute triangle shape.  The description on the Om Sai Om Brand website is that the sticks have a "sweet and musky aroma with a hint of resinous notes, perfect for rejuvenating the mind & body". And that seems fair enough, though my experience of the scent on both the stick and the burn is that it is powdery, soapy, and floral, with some sparkling and cool aldehydes supported by a general sandalwood aroma. Soft sweetness and a vague sense of musk are present - more on the burn, and the general impression on the burn is that this is a calming and relaxing aroma.  

There is a reluctance to catch and some black smoke when lighting. Black smoke is caused by incomplete combustion, and DEP can cause this as it slow to ignite, and while it doesn't produce black smoke itself, it will inhibit the fragrance oils from fully burning; but black smoke is also caused by thicker sticks, as it takes longer to achieve smouldering heat, and until that smouldering heat is reached, the oils won't burn completely.  Black smoke on lighting is not necessarily due to poor ingredients - it can be due to inappropriate formulation where the ingredients are not balanced, or where it hasn't been dried completely. This stick is well dry, the scent is not harsh and is well balanced, with a pleasant after-burn scent that lasts well into the next day, so I'm assuming the black smoke is due to thickness and use of DEP.

This is a decent everyday room freshener. The scent is familiar, and is not the most refined musk scent, but for a modern synthetic musk scent (which is what the name "White Musk" implies - it was developed by Albert Baur in 1888, is considered the first fully synthetic scent, and is widely used in perfumery) it is pleasantly clean, powdery, and fresh with a scent like freshly washed bed sheets.  The smoke is a beautifully shimmering silvery grey - it is soft, and swirls around the room most attractively.  Yeah, not bad. 

Available for 55 Rupees (India only) direct from Om Sai Om Brand. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score:  28/50

***

Best of Om Sai (Om Brand)

Musk

Dhoop

Gonesh No. 10 Perfumes of Herbs & Flowers

 

Short and  simple. Highly perfumed sticks. Decent quality - no off-notes either on the stick or the burn (which have similar scents), though there is a fair degree of volatility, possibly from aldehydes, which can be quite icy in the nose and cause headaches.  The scent is sweet, fruity, soapy, perfumed. There may be herbs and flowers in the mix, but the accord assaults me more with the fruits. Lagging slightly behind are faint, delicate florals. It's an OK accord, but does feel more like a "fruity fresh" bubble bath than what most would associate with incense. I like incense makers who are modern and bold and come up with new and lively scent accords, such as this No. 10; however, pleasant though it is, it doesn't touch my soul or my intellect. This is too familiar as an everyday scent associated with room fresheners, and various bathroom lotions and potions, to tickle my interest.

Essentially this is well made, decent quality incense with a pleasant and attractive scent, though too familiar as an everyday home fragrance to spark much interest.  But it is likeable, and I'm quite happy to burn these sticks around the house. They are well behaved, and, though the scent (as most perfumed incense does) fades rather than lingers, it does sweetly inform the room with an acceptable and inoffensive fragrance. 

This was part of a Variety pack, commonly available in America, though also available on UK Amazon for just under £12 including delivery.

Date: Feb 2026    Score: 30/50

***

Gonesh

Gonesh No. 2 Perfumed with Oils & Spices

 

What is perfumed-incense?

Some folks like masala style incense (fragrant ingredients wrapped in the paste), some like perfumed incense (fragrance applied to the paste externally by spraying, dipping, or coating in powder), some like perfumed-masala incense (fragrance is wrapped in the paste and also added externally), some just like incense. I just like incense. What, for me, matters most is the fragrance that is released when the incense is lit up and the smoke starts to waft around the room. 

Does perfumed-incense sometimes smell false or chemical? Yes. 

Does perfumed-masala style incense sometimes smell false or chemical? Yes.

Does masala style incense sometimes smell false or chemical? Yes, but less frequently. 

Does perfumed-incense have a wide range of fragrances? Yes.

Does perfumed-masala style incense have a wide range of fragrances? Yes, but somewhat less than straight perfumed-incense. 

Does masala style incense have a wide range of fragrances? Certainly a decent range, though the masala incense customer base prefers more traditional scents, so there will be more wood, floral, and wood-floral scents than the often more sophisticated or modern and fun scents that are commonly offered in perfumed-incense, especially the perfumed-incense that is sold to the Western market, such as by Wild Berry, Juicy Jay, Hem, and Gonesh.   

Who are Gonesh?

I have found Gonesh to be a decent perfumed-incense company. I like and enjoy their scents. They are an American company who have been making incense since at least 1923 when they took over The Hindu Incense Company based in Chicago, and made incense cones and burners. It was in the Sixties that they introduced incense sticks, and changed their name from the Hindu Incense Company to Gonesh. They have decent sales in the home fragrance and lifestyle market, and are generally regarded as accessible and vibrant, though not as an authentic or traditional incense maker. 

Description

Gonesh say: "A mysterious blend of perfume oils and spices to create a soothing aromatic experience. A light floral fragrance wafting over deep woodsy notes spiced throughout with the scents of the orient."

Scent on the Stick (Cold Throw)

Perfumed-incense is always upfront with the scent as the fragrance was applied externally, even though - as with these charcoal sticks - the fragrance gets absorbed by the charcoal, there is generally plenty of scent on the outside to evaporate into the atmosphere around you. Really ripe sticks don't even need to be sniffed - the smell just comes out, blam!, and makes contact. There's an amber musky warmth on the stick - which is similar to an oriental scent (or "scents of the orient"). Not much in the way of spices, but there is a smoky hint of wood, along with an icy and potentially headache inducing volatility. 

What is Volatility?

Volatility is fragrance notes that evaporate quickly. It is not necessarily a sign of synthetic perfume or chemicals, it is mainly the type and strength of the fragrance. Very light top notes, citrics and pines for example, are quick evaporators which can sparkle like grains of ice in your nose, and may overload your senses, giving you a headache. I am sensitive to this - particularly terpenes.  While natural fragrances can have sharp volatility, it is generally synthetics, like aldehydes, which are the main culprits, though frankincense resin also has icy volatiles. 

Scent on the Burn (Hot Throw)

The scent on the burn echoes the cold throw scent on the stick. I like when an incense does that. And it tends to happen more often with perfumed-incense than either perfumed-masala or masala-style incense. This is not a sign of quality - traditional, high quality masala incense has the fragrant ingredients folded into the paste, so they are not fully revealed until the stick is lit and burned; but it is useful as what I am expecting from the cold throw is delivered in the hot throw. It is not uncommon that stuff I like is not a qualifier for "high-end", but is simply useful, fun, attractive, or likeable. I don't think I am someone for whom the term "high-end" draws me like a acolyte moth to a golden diamond encrusted flame. Terms like "character", "interesting", "authentic", "original", "fun", "unique" are what attract my attention. 

Anyhow. Yes. Smoky amber and muted, obscure herbs are what I find in the burn. It is generally a soft, well-behaved burn - calmer, quieter, and warmer than the scent on the stick, albeit the scent profile is the same. It is a little drier and narrow than I prefer, but is moderately interesting and quite acceptable. 

This was part of a Variety pack, commonly available in America, though also available on UK Amazon for just under £12 including delivery.

Date: Feb 2026    Score: 29

***

Gonesh

Gonesh No. 4 Perfumes of Orchards & Vines

 

Perfume-dipped charcoal stick made in America. The cold throw scent on the stick is bursting with sweet fruits: cherries and berries and cough sweets. it's young, modern, bold; very superficial but great fun.  

The scent on the burn is more of the same, though a little smudged. There is more light and clarity when the stick is placed further away. It's more vibrant than a car air-freshener, and there's the attraction of burning incense, but there is this odd sense of cultures clashing. I like it. I like the freshness of it. There is a sense of youth and vitality and fun, that is not always there in a more traditional incense. 

I've always tended to "have a soft spot" for bold modern fragrances in my incense. For me it is part of the variety and fun.  This is not a serious incense, but it is decent quality. Comparable with the better perfumed-incense makers in India like HEM and Moksh. And I don't think I would argue if someone said that Gonesh are better quality.   

This was part of a Variety pack, commonly available in America, though also available on UK Amazon for just under £12 including delivery.

Date: Feb 2026    Score: 32/50

***

Gonesh

Pure Incense Sambrani

 

What “Sambrani” Means

Sambrani is a slightly tricky name. Historically it would refer to benzoin resin, or even frankincense or other fragrant tree resins. Today, however, the word more often refers to what Thomas Kinkele describes as Calcutta block benzoin - better known as loban or sambrani. These are inexpensive blends of benzoin with other resins, usually sold in charcoal cups.

Typical sambrani charcoal cup

Given that the Calcutta block Sambrani does not in general have a reputation as a quality incense, the assumption here is that Adi-Guru, the owner of Pure Incense, is intending to refer us to the more traditional use of the name as meaning a decent quality pure benzoin. 

And that's fine. Though, as I said in relation to Temple of Incense Benzoin Absolute, benzoin is such a common resin in Indian incense that it's hard to work up an enthusiasm for it. It's usually used as a fixative, or to add some sweetness to a fragrance blend. And when it is used as a single fragrance incense stick it can be rather linear and dull, with a somewhat boring and sometimes satiating focus on little more than a vanilla sweetness. Ho hum. But, fair enough, that vanilla sweetness can be an instant, albeit short-term, appeal.

Scent on the Stick

The unlit stick smells appealing. There’s a warm, musky sweetness - almost patchouli-like -alongside perfumed florals that hover around violets. Herbs add some interest. However, there’s also a slightly cold volatility that’s faintly off-putting

Scent on the Burn

Burning the stick brings a somewhat dry, twiggy harshness. It leans more toward Calcutta-block territory than toward rich, pure benzoin resin. Moving it farther away helps: the scent becomes lighter and sweeter, closer to what you’d expect from benzoin. But overall the fragrance remains narrow and linear. There's not a lot going on here.

The base reminds me of some Pondicherry style incense where distillation residue may be used - imparting a dry, peppery character. Whether that’s actually the case here is impossible to know, but the effect is similar. And the sweet benzoin notes on top of the base struggles to compete, and when it does win out, the scent is too simple to hold the interest of someone who is perhaps easily bored, and/or has burned quite a few Indian incenses with a similar profile. 

Verdict

This isn’t a bad incense. It has an appealing sweetness and will probably please anyone looking for a straightforward benzoin fragrance.

But it lacks depth and development, and compared to more complex Pure Incense offerings it feels a bit ordinary.

Pros

*Pleasant warm sweetness
*Easy to enjoy initially
*Traditional benzoin profile

Cons
*Linear scent
*Slightly harsh burn
*Limited depth

Date: Feb 2025   Score: 24/50 

***

Pure Incense

Loban / Sambrani

Note: It is not publicly revealed where Adi-Guru sources the incense for the Pure Incense brand; however, the style is sometimes similar to the incenses made by HMS of Pune.

Temple of Incense Benzoin Absolute

 

Introduction

This Benzoin Absolute is the last (I think) of the samples I got from Temple of Incense (ToI) back in 2021.  I am determined this year to really reduce my backlog. But as I write this I suspect I have another batch of ToI samples somewhere in my collection; well, at least none are cluttering my desk at the moment. My immediate goal is to clear the incense on my desk so I can get on to explore some decent quality Chinese incense, and do a two-way incense blind test with Irene from Rauchfahne.

About Benzoin

Anyhow. Benzoin Absolute. Ho hum. Benzoin is such a common resin in Indian incense that it's hard to work up an enthusiasm for this. It's usually used as a fixative, or to add some sweetness to a fragrance blend. It is sometimes used by itself, most commonly in a format which Thomas Kinkele says may be termed "Calcutta block benzoin", though is better known as Loban or Sambrani - a rough benzoin mixed with other resins, used in Indian rituals.

Because benzoin is common in Indian incense, and can be rather linear and dull due to the somewhat boring focus on vanilla sweetness, it can be difficult to work up excitement for a single-fragrance benzoin stick.

Scent on the Stick

This Benzoin Absolute comes as a simple, extruded paste stick. The cold throw scent has the expected vanilla sweetness, though there's some fresh cologne here as well which add balsamic, floral, and fruit notes. A small amount of crisp volatility is a little off-putting, but that is not uncommon with perfumed sticks. Overall, the scent is pleasant but unexciting, typical of perfumed-incense formulations.

Scent on the Burn

The fragrance on the burn evolves into a soft, warm, musky blend. Woody notes introduce a slight bitterness that balances the sweetness, providing harmony. The result is an acceptable everyday room fragrance - familiar, comfortable, and non-intrusive. This incense performs well as a room freshener, but it is unlikely to surprise or delight anyone familiar with benzoin incense. 

Value

At £10 for a pack of 20 sticks, the price is relatively high for what you receive. Comparable quality incense can be bought elsewhere - such as sourced direct from VNS in India, costing 100 rupees (~85p) or less for 20g - a significant value advantage over ToI. But it's each to their own, and some folks do feel more comfortable buying close to home. 

Pros

*Pleasant vanilla sweetness with subtle balsamic, floral, and fruity nuances.
*Soft, warm, musky burn with woody notes that balance the sweetness.
*Reliable everyday room fragrance, non-intrusive and familiar.

Cons

*Linear and unexciting; lacks complexity.
*Slightly off-putting crisp volatility on the stick.
*High price (£10/20 sticks) compared to alternatives like VNS in India.

Conclusion

Temple of Incense Benzoin Absolute is pleasant, approachable, and reliable, but unremarkable. It is well-suited for casual use as a room fragrance, yet it lacks complexity or uniqueness for those looking for something more. While the quality is respectable, the price-to-value ratio is not compelling.

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 26/50

***

Temple of Incense

Reviewed in USA

Note: It is not revealed where Temple of Incense source the incense for their brand; however, a number of the incenses are similar to those made by HMS of Pune.