Stories

Dhuni Incense

Posted on by kievsufi

There was an incense and there was The Incense, the only one and the best – Dhuni….

“Dhuni incense has been an intense labor of love from start to finish. As long term travelers to India we spent years scouring the heartland for incenses of all types, always coming close but never truly discovering something we felt was the real deal, an incense that would capture the very essence of a long tradition, now almost extinct in India. Finally, one unlikely day, the Eureka moment arrived. Sitting on a non descript street sipping chai we smelt the first waft of an incense that seemed too good to be true: woody, utterly pure and natural, a magical near mystical blend of oils, ground resins, fragrant botanicals and more. Instantly, we set about finding the origin and the rest…. is history.”

This is how Dhuni Incense came into existence. It enjoyed a great following in the West and received many positive reviews on Olfactory Rescue Service, the leading incense blog.

The founders of the brand, a young British couple, much like ourselves, spent a great deal of time traveling in India and trying thousands of sticks from different manufacturers. Until they found something raw, gigantic, fresh, out of the box: some Dhuni Sticks were massive and thick, with three sticks making a 15-gram packet. The incense was full of essential oils and fragrant resins, as if the person making it wanted to prove their devotion to God through each stick. The maker of the incense did not differentiate between incense making and their spiritual practice; they were absorbed into the creation of the incense, which was their prayer and meditation.

This is what founders of Dhuni were saying on their web-site in 2013: 

“Luxurious hand rolled natural incense sticks from India…

  • Blended by a legendary Indian master incense maker
  • Entirely handmade through every aspect of the process
  • No chemicals or glues of any kind
  • Sumptuous blends conveying the essence of traditional Indian agarbatti
  • Perhaps the last true artisan incense still being produced
  • Excellent customer service and shipping options
  • Quite simply the most extraordinary olfactory experience of your life

Why are you called dhuni?

The name dhuni means ‘sacred hearth’: the fireplace around which India’s holy men sit and offer plant materials to mother earth. dhuni Natural Incense is, we sincerely believe, the only place in the Western world where its possible to buy incense of this quality and, trust us, it’s almost impossible to find now in India either.

The Essence of Bhakti

These long burning joss sticks are a living tradition, the result of incredible plant knowledge, blending know-how, and artisanal skill. Conveying the essence of bhakti – devotion – these sticks convey a reverence for Mother Earth and all her creations, and to light a match to one is to recreate in miniature the sadhus fireplace, into which objects are thrown in consecration, and to purify the animate world.

Protecting an Endangered Tradition

We offer them to you with love, and with the hope that this endangered tradition find means of continuation in India. Overtaken by mass production, and a huge influx of low quality ecologically harmful imitations, the Indian agarbatti market is under threat. Traditional incense made properly is a real rarity now, and it’s our dream that Dhuni goes a small way to helping it survive. In the future we hope to do more for the protection and sustainability of this industry but for now, just buying these sticks will help.”

Dhuni started in 2010 and ended its magnificent existence in 2013. It was like a shooting star, so bright and enormous. We don’t know the reasons why the company ceased its operations but we are grateful to the founders of Dhuni for their service to humanity and a rare gift they brought to the West. 

 

Stories

What makes us different?

Posted on by admin

What others call a Luxury incense is a bare minimum for us.

Great value: Bespoke incense at a reasonable cost.

Same high quality as the legendary Happy Hari and Dhuni brands.

Low smoke emitting incense thanks to unique production process.

What’s the difference between an incense trader and a collector, a merchant and a purveyor, or even a curator of incense? A trader is someone who buys and sells incense for profit. A purveyor, on the other hand, is driven by a passion to find that perfect piece of incense — something that will inspire the world and bring joy to their customers. A trader is like a greedy beast, motivated by exploiting customer needs for profit. In contrast, a purveyor is driven by a pure desire for perfection itself. It’s the same difference between a trader and an investor: the trader seeks immediate gains, often ignoring the item’s true value, while the investor acquires assets for long-term appreciation.

Imagine an ancient scene where a king, seated on his throne, is presented with rare and exotic fragrances by his Royal Curator, freshly returned from a long journey. The king is awestruck, thrilled to discover such wonders exist in distant lands, and deeply appreciates the curator’s efforts in procuring them.
Now fast forward to the modern era, where wealthy individuals hire a skilled “nose” to embark on the difficult quest of finding rare agarwood pieces worth millions of dollars. These stories mirror our experiences today.
We are the curators and purveyors of our time, dedicated to seeking out rare and unique incenses for our customers. Unlike traders, who chase quick profits, we are collectors and connoisseurs, passionate about sharing only the finest incense. We offer only what we ourselves enjoy. If we wouldn’t burn it, it won’t be part of our collection.

He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know.

Lao Tzu

A lot has been said about the different qualities of incense. Some brands claim their sticks are luxurious or for connoisseurs, but we proudly call ours Supreme. Why? Because we have complete confidence in our production process and know that our incense is crafted to the highest ecological, ethical, and production standards using the finest ingredients available.
Our production heavily relies on raw halmaddi, an exceptionally rare and expensive ingredient sourced directly from the forests of Puttur region in Karnataka. We source the best halmaddi from independent and licensed producers, who adhere to strict regulations set by the Indian Government.
Instead of using cheaper “agarbatti powder” from Vietnam, which is commonly used in commercial incense production, we utilize real sandalwood powder and genuine sandalwood oil. Both of these ingredients are precious and costly.
For our base material, we often incorporate coconut shell powder, which imparts a soft and creamy fragrance to our incense. Additionally, the coconut base emits minimal smoke, allowing the oils to fully manifest themselves.
To preserve the long-lasting aroma of our sticks, we exclusively use real essential oils (attars) obtained through distillation. We avoid synthetic or decomposed oils, as they do not meet our high standards. Although real essential oils are expensive, they ensure the fragrance of our incense endures for years to come.
You may have heard of the renowned Happy Hari brand and the legendary Paul Eagle, who extensively explored India in search of the highest quality incense. Like them, we have followed their path and established relationships with the same esteemed suppliers. We take pride in upholding their legacy by delivering the same exceptional quality.
And, finally, the price. We are trying our best to be as lean as possible, so we can pass on our savings to our customers.
We have managed to build a bulk of our wealth in other sectors of the economy, so there is no pressure for us to deliver. We are enjoying ourselves talking to our customers and discovering new fragrances on the way. We are enjoying being part of the TAO, this process of Life, Creation and Relaxation. Thank you for being a part of it with us.
Stories

Music of Incense

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Let us talk about the music of incense and fragrance of the Earth. Sounds like a Zen Koan, doesn’t it?

When we visited Kannauj, a small town in Uttar Pradesh in the north of India, we were shown an attar (perfume oil) which resembled the fragrance of the soil. Yes, it smelled like soil, and we were surprised to learn that one can replicate the smell of the Earth using natural botanical ingredients.

Then we were shown fragrances that create joy and ecstasy or sorrow and sadness. How is this possible? We were shown fragrances that were named after famous qawwali singers (qawwali is a type of Sufi singing associated with Chishtiya Sufi tariqa). I remembered the world-famous guitarist Carlos Santana, who loved one particular incense, which is made using a perfume oil composition called Amber Kasturi – a mysterious temple smell of amber and musk.

Yes, incense is like music – it can create joy and happiness, can concentrate the mind, and can help with creativity, relaxation and peace. Incense can change the aura of a room within minutes, and it can change our state of the mind the same way as music does. Isn’t this wonderful?

There is an incense for everything, and every time of the year.
When it is cold, we tend to make a cup of hot tea and burn some myrrh or frankincense. When the spring comes, we might use some arabic oudh (agarwood) and patchouli that will dance in the wind. In the summer lemongrass and rose are great for freshening up a room and cooling it down, while some amber in the autumn can give a space a thoughtful mood. Incense is part of our life – it is our invisible companion.

At the same time, incense is the culmination of nature`s creation, and the ability of man to create fragrances that impact the world within us, and communicate with the world beyond us – something our ancestors have been doing for thousands of years.

If only they had known that one day, someone sitting in a city office would use amber incense, and a young lady who goes to a yoga class would come home and burn a stick of Nag Champa, just to bring a smile to her face….