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Incense balances our daily lives & brings harmony

Incense balances our daily lives & brings harmony

Born and raised in a sacred city of Kathmandu with world famous religious shrines and heritage sites, I have always been fascinated by the religious activities and festivals which are still a daily part of our lives. The festivities which come one after another every month or so, the countless divine offerings to the gods and goddess, more than 4 new years celebrated among Nepalese, every occasion somehow related to religion; are some of the things which we will cherish for generations to come.

Tibetan Incense Sticks

It is very astonishing that despite being so diverse in culture and religion, Nepal is a country which has stood the test of time and came up strong on values, sentiments and respect for one another. All the religions are very closely knit and each religion is respected by everyone.

Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism etc are some of the religions in Nepal. All religions observe their own festivals, religious ceremonies and yearly celebrations. In all these religions, there are many common things which bind us all together in a very close circle. And one of such things which is probably the important one is the INCENSE.

INCENSE is an aromatic substance which gives fragrant smell when burnt. Every religion and civilization from ancient age till date has been found to use incense in some ways or the other. It has been used since ancient times during religious ceremonies, rituals, puja, meditation, healing and daily life.

Nepal produces various kinds of incense depending upon religion, ethnicity and use. There are small and limited numbers of incense manufacturers who still follow the ancient techniques of incense making which has been followed strictly from generations to generations. This insures that the incense is 100% natural, herbal and beneficial.

The various kinds of incense which are handmade in Nepal are TIBETAN INCENSE STICKS, NEPALESE HIMALAYAN INCENSE, BHUTANESE INCENSE STICKS, POWDER OR RAW INCENSE, ROPE INCENSE and CONE INCENSE.

Kopan Nunnery Tibetan Incense Sticks

 

When you visit the famous Hindu shrine PASHUPATI NATH or the Buddhist shrines Boudha Nath and Swyambhu Nath, you instantly smell the lingering fragrance of incense in the air. Every devotee is bound by the traditional belief and practice of burning incense as offering to the deities. The incense plays a very important role in every ritual and religious ceremonies of Nepal. The incense is not only used as offering in the shrines but also as an agent of purification of atmosphere and repellent of the evil spirits.

Materials for Tibetan Incense Sticks

Tibetan Buddhist use various kinds of incense made of Juniper, Sandalwood, Red Sandalwood, Citronella, Cedarwood and more. Completely made of herbal and medicinal plants along with various spices, Tibetan incense is one of the most beneficial and revered incense in Nepal. The western countries quickly understood the benefits of Tibetan incense and are demanding Tibetan incense which is 100% chemical free. Tibetan incense is handmade of pure natural substances found in the Himalayan region of Nepal, Tibet and India. The herbs, medicinal plants, flora and spices are mixed together following detailed Tibetan incense making scripture. Early case studies have found that since the Tibetan Buddhist found habitat in the high altitude region, they made incense from ingredients that were found around the region. Juniper has played a huge role as a medicinal herb in the high altitude region which is why it was also a primary ingredient in the incense. Juniper barks, leaves and berries were ground to a powder and mixed with various spices and other herbs to make incense powder. Slowly and gradually, the powder took the form of the incense sticks but the composition and benefits of Tibetan Incense remained intact.

Image of Nepacrafts

Our incense manufacturing is an art followed and developed by a family living in the foothills of Nagarjun in a place called Balaju Height, some 6 kms from Central Kathmandu. The place itself is bountiful of various trees, flora, fauna and natural abundance.

Tibetan Incense Sticks artist

 

When we enter the workspace, we are greeted by a loving, caring, ever smiling man we lovingly call Baje(Grandfather). He always welcomes us with open arms and loving heart. Baje has been manufacturing incense for over 3 decades now. He learnt the art of incense making from Lama Dorjee, one of the most famous names in incense making. Baje says that each and every step from selection, measurement and mixture of ingredients to the very core of manufacturing is strictly followed as per the scripture and teachings of Lama Dorjee.

He does not commercially produce large quantities of incense but makes sure that only enough incense is made. Even though, he has a huge inventory of various herbs, medicinal plants, ingredients and spices, the incense which are manufactured are just in the right quantity. He invites his trusted colleagues and students from the surrounding hills when he is ready to manufacture incense. As soon as the invitation is received, his colleagues and students flock to his work space. Sometimes the work is for a week and sometimes for a month, depending upon the quantity of incense to be made. All the invitees stay at this work place until the work is complete, after which they would return to their respective villages. The work is a combination of ancient teachings, careful selection of ingredients, detailed technique of manufacturing and production of world class incense. The incense that comes out of his work space is 100% natural free of any chemicals.

What is very commendable about the incense made with Baje’s instructions are that they are simply the best. Apart from being herbal and medicinal, many varieties of his incense can be used for purification and fragrance.

Our search is still on. We are committed to bringing you the best incense which is 100% natural and which would help you during your rituals, ceremonies, yoga, meditation, healing and therapy. We work hard to bring incense which will fill you with positive energy, clear your mind of tiredness and discomfort, help balance your chakras and energy points, bring happiness to you through lingering fragrant smell and purify your surroundings. No wonder, why we love incense so much.

P.S. We are located just minutes from Pashupati Nath and Boudha Nath, two historic religious sites of Hindus and Buddhists.

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