Seamus Hammond
Incense is an integral part of religious and cultural practices in India, with the country being the world's primary incense producer and exporter. The art of making natural incense sticks has a long history in China and Japan, but India has also developed its own unique methods, such as the use of bamboo sticks as a core, which originated in the country in the 19th century. The process of making incense sticks involves coating unscented bamboo sticks with essential oils or fragrance oils, allowing them to dry, and then burning them with the help of a holder or burner. The ingredients used in Indian incense-making are often categorised into five classes based on Ayurvedic principles, with various resins, woods, herbs, flowers and leaves being used to create distinctive fragrances.
Characteristics and Values of Making Incense Sticks in India
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| History | The method of making incense sticks with a bamboo core originated in India in the 19th century. |
| Incense stick making has a long history in China, and spread to Japan and other East Asian regions. | |
| In India, incense sticks are called "Agarbatti". | |
| Ingredients and Materials | Bamboo sticks, wood, resin, herbs, flowers, essential oils, fragrance oils, dipropylene glycol (DPG) |
| Various powders: wood, resin, herb, or floral | |
| Process | Cut bamboo to size, split into slats, sun-dry, apply base paste, roll in wood powder, dip in scented solvent, dry, burn |
| Soak sticks in essential oils, coat with DPG, air-dry, wrap in plastic wrap, dry overnight | |
| Hand-roll using powdered ingredients and water, knead into dough, roll into sticks, dry | |
| Safety | Wear gloves when working with undiluted essential oils |
| Keep out of reach of children and pets | |
| Uses | Religious ceremonies, aromatherapy, daily use in homes |
| Business | About 5,000 incense companies in India, with 25 main companies accounting for 30% of the market |
| An experienced home worker can produce 4,000 raw sticks per day |
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What You'll Learn
The history of incense stick making in India
The use of incense sticks, also known as agarbatti or joss sticks, has a long history in India, with the practice being intertwined with religious and spiritual rituals. The burning of incense is believed to carry prayers and offerings to the divine realm, making it an integral part of spiritual and religious practices.
The earliest documented evidence of incense use traces back to ancient China, with the use of blends of herbs and plants. Many believe that the history of Indian incense sticks dates back to 3300 BC, when Indians used them for prayer and worship practices. The use of incense sticks in meditation practices also dates back to ancient times, with the earliest evidence found as far back as 2000 BC.
In ancient India, Emperor Ashoka, a prominent Buddhist ruler, promoted the use of incense in Buddhist ceremonies, contributing to its spread and popularity. The introduction of Buddhism in 700 BCE further established the practice of burning incense in Indian culture. Incense, or "dhupa", and perfumes, or "gandhā", are two of the five accessories of religious worship in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, alongside flowers, lamps, and food.
The method of making incense sticks with a bamboo core, which originated in India in the 19th century, replaced the rolled, extruded, or shaped method still used for dhoop. The basic ingredients of an Indian incense stick are bamboo sticks, paste (made from charcoal dust or sawdust and an adhesive derived from tree bark), and perfume ingredients like masala (ground spice mix) or essential oils. The bamboo method is distinct from the Nepali, Tibetan, and Japanese methods, which do not use bamboo cores.
Today, incense sticks continue to hold cultural and spiritual significance in India, used in everyday Hindu prayer rituals, meditation practices, and various ceremonies. They are also used as air fresheners and offered in many temples. India is the world's primary incense producer and a major exporter, with about 5,000 incense companies employing approximately 200,000 women to hand-roll raw sticks.
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How to prepare the raw materials
To make incense sticks, you will need to prepare the raw materials. The process of making incense sticks with a bamboo stick as a core originated in India and is the most common method used today.
Firstly, you will need to source a bamboo tree. Using a hand saw and a large knife, cut the bamboo to your desired length, leaving out nodes. Using a knife, split the bamboo into slats, and then use a small knife or blade to sliver the slats into thin sticks. Place the sticks in the sun to dry before using them to make incense sticks.
Next, you will need to prepare the incense mixture. The incense mixture typically includes wood, resin, herbs, and flowers, which are blended into a powder. For a simple blend, you can use sandalwood and 2-3 other types of wood powder. However, if you want to add a stronger fragrance, you can use resins such as frankincense, myrrh, or halmaddi. To ensure the incense burns well and has a strong scent, it is recommended to use powders that can pass through an 80-mesh screen sieve.
Once you have your bamboo sticks and incense powder ready, you can move on to the next step of applying the base paste to the bamboo sticks.
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Making the incense paste
The first step in making incense sticks is to prepare the incense paste. This paste will serve as the base for your incense sticks and can be made using a variety of natural ingredients such as wood, herbs, flowers, resins, and essential oils.
To make the incense paste, you will need to gather your chosen ingredients and create a blend. For a traditional Indian incense experience, you can follow the Ayurvedic principles of categorizing ingredients into five classes: Ether (fruits), Water (stems and branches), Earth (roots), Fire (flowers), and Air (leaves). For example, under the category of Water, you can use ingredients such as sandalwood, aloeswood, cedarwood, cassia, frankincense, myrrh, or borneol. Earth ingredients can include turmeric, vetiver, ginger, costus root, valerian, or Indian spikenard. Various resins, such as amber, myrrh, frankincense, or halmaddi, can be added as a fragrant binding ingredient. Halmaddi, in particular, has an interesting history and is often associated with popular Indian incense brands. It is derived from the Ailanthus triphysa tree and is mixed with honey to maintain pliability during the incense-making process.
Once you have gathered and measured your chosen ingredients, you will need to grind them into a fine powder. This powder should be able to pass through an 80-mesh screen sieve (0.18mm/0.007”) or, ideally, a 100-mesh screen sieve (0.15mm/0.0049”) to ensure optimal flammability, scent, and texture in the final product. After sieving, combine the powdered ingredients with water and knead them into a dough-like consistency. This dough is your incense paste and can now be used to coat your incense sticks.
Remember to wear gloves when working with undiluted essential oils, as they can irritate your skin. Also, be mindful of the number of sticks you plan to make, as larger batches will require multiple bottles of essential oil.
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Applying the fragrance
Incense is an important part of many religions in India and has been since ancient times. The method of making incense with a bamboo stick as a core is believed to have originated in India in the 19th century.
When making incense sticks, you can use either essential oils or fragrance oils. Essential oils are natural and have been used for centuries for their mood-altering and boosting properties. Fragrance oils, on the other hand, are man-made chemicals. If you are preparing multiple incense sticks at once, it is helpful to measure out the essential oils in a graduated cylinder. Always wear gloves when working with undiluted essential oils, as they can irritate your skin.
If you are making incense sticks with essential oils, you can coat unscented incense sticks with your chosen oil or blend of oils. Make sure that all sides of the stick soak up the oil. Then, coat your oil-soaked sticks with dipropylene glycol (DPG) to prevent them from giving off black smoke when burned. Leave the sticks to air-dry on a rack for a few hours, then cover them in plastic wrap overnight. The next day, blot them with clean paper towels.
If you are making incense sticks with fragrance oils, simply fill a tall empty bottle with your chosen oil and dip your incense sticks in the liquid. Then, air-dry the sticks on a rack for a few hours, cover them in plastic wrap overnight, and blot them with clean paper towels the next day. Alternatively, if you are scenting just one stick, place it in a narrow dish and drip the oil along the thicker, absorbent portion of the stick.
Once your sticks are dry, they will be ready to burn. However, it is important to store them in a zip lock plastic bag to maintain their strength. Always burn incense in a holder or burner to ensure the ash collects properly, and keep a close eye on children and pets when incense is burning.
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Drying and storing the incense sticks
Drying your incense sticks is a crucial step in the process of making them. After you've coated your incense sticks with essential oils and/or dipropylene glycol (DPG), it's time to let them dry. Place the sticks in a mug, with the incense end up, and leave them to dry overnight or for at least 10-15 hours. During this time, the sticks will emit a wonderful fragrance, even though they're not ready to be burned yet. You can also let your sticks soak for a full day before drying to enhance the scent further.
It's important to choose a safe place to dry your incense sticks, keeping them out of the reach of children and pets. A cooling rack is a good option to allow the sticks to dry off completely for a few hours. If you've used DPG, you'll want to soak up any excess with clean paper towels before wrapping the incense in plastic wrap and giving them another night to air-dry.
If you're making natural incense sticks with a bamboo core, the process begins with preparing the bamboo sticks. Cut bamboo trees into the desired length, typically 10" or 7" inchers, leaving out the nodes. Split the bamboo into slats using a knife, and then sliver these into thin strips, which will become your incense sticks. These strips need to be sun-dried before you proceed with the next steps of coating them with essential oils or a base paste.
Once your incense sticks are dry, they're ready for burning. However, it's important to store them properly to maintain their fragrance and quality. Keep your incense sticks in a zip lock plastic bag and store them in a dark place, away from heat and sunlight. This will help preserve their scent and keep them fresh for longer. Additionally, it's crucial to keep them out of the reach of children and pets to ensure their safety.
In India, the process of making incense sticks is often done by hand-rolling at home. Approximately 200,000 women work part-time from home, rolling the raw, un-perfumed sticks and applying their chosen perfume. These sticks are then packaged and sold, with some choosing to use traditional Ayurvedic principles for scenting their incense.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need unscented incense sticks, essential oils or fragrance oils, and dipropylene glycol (DPG). If you want to hand-roll your own incense sticks, you will need powdered incense materials, such as wood, resin, herbs, or flowers, and water.
If using pre-made incense sticks, coat them with your chosen essential or fragrance oil. You can dip the sticks in the oil or drip the oil directly onto the stick. Then, coat the oil-soaked sticks with DPG to prevent black smoke. Finally, let the sticks dry for 10-15 hours before burning. If hand-rolling your own sticks, knead the powdered materials and water into a dough, roll them into sticks, and let them dry for up to 5 days before applying oil and DPG.
Use a burner or holder to catch the ash and make disposal easier. Light the tip of the incense stick with a match or lighter, blow it out, and allow the ember to burn down the stick.
India is the world's main incense producer and exporter, so there are many popular fragrances. Traditional Ayurvedic incense ingredients are categorized into five classes: ether (fruits), water (stems and branches), earth (roots), fire (flowers), and air (leaves). Specific examples include sandalwood, aloeswood, cedarwood, cassia, frankincense, myrrh, turmeric, ginger, clove, and patchouli.
