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Incense guide
The History of Agarbatti
A plain-language answer from the makers of Aadhya incense and dhoop.
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Quick answer
The History of Agarbatti
Incense has been offered in Indian worship since ancient times as dhoopam, one of the traditional offerings of puja. The word agarbatti is generally traced to agar (agarwood) and batti (stick), and Karnataka, especially Mysuru and Bengaluru, grew into the centre of India's hand-rolled agarbatti trade in the twentieth century.
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Ancient roots
Fragrant resins and woods were burned in Indian rituals for thousands of years, and Ayurveda describes medicinal fumigation. Dhoopam, the offering of fragrance, is one of the upacharas of puja.
The agarbatti trade
With abundant sandalwood and halmaddi from the Western Ghats, Mysuru and Bengaluru became the heart of the hand-rolled agarbatti industry, and Indian incense, nag champa above all, travelled around the world.
Today
Alongside mass-market, machine-made sticks, there is a growing return to hand-rolled, charcoal-free incense, which is where Aadhya's own craft sits.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the word agarbatti come from?
It is generally traced to agar, the fragrant agarwood, and batti, a stick or wick.
Why is Mysuru famous for agarbatti?
Karnataka's sandalwood and resins, and generations of rolling skill, made it the centre of the trade.
Is agarbatti mentioned in scripture?
Dhoopam, the offering of fragrance, appears in traditional puja rituals; the stick form is a later development.
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