Way back in the day when I first started in the business of offering quality incense to the rural public at an economical price, I started with Hem brand incense. Incense does not need to break you in the wallet, as I am of the mind that “it’s the little things in life that bring the most joy”. I discovered incense back in 1970 at the tender age of 14. The only incense available in my small rural town was Satya. Then, around the mid-1980’s, I became aware of a new brand on the market called Hem. I used both. And I love both still…among others. And, while I have access these days to a plethora of brands that are all very good and some of them my favourites, I still reach for Hem when the mood strikes. Hem is very similar to Satya in the production techniques by the way they roll their sticks. Hem company uses bamboo with charcoal and then dips each stick into fragrant oils. Their cones are a bit better then the sticks, imho, as they burn a little cleaner and have a more clear fragrance, which is normal when comparing an “agarbatti” with a “dhoop” style. ( Loosely translated by yours truly, “Agarbatti” means “incense with a wooden stick” and “dhoop” means “no wood” within the incense itself. fyi. ) These two brands – Satya and Hem – are the two top exporters of incense outside of India to the rest of the world. They make A LOT of incense aka “mega-tons!” – but have never compromised the quality of their brands over the years. ( Watch this blog for a report on Satya brand incense in the very near future! )
Here’s what their official website has to say about the company: “The company has come a long way since its small beginning in 1983. It was set up as a partnership firm by three brothers who were willing to take on the world’s biggest, most famous incense companies operating in India at the time. Over the course of 30 years, Hem Corporation started manufacturing and exporting to 70 countries and has became India’s leading perfumed incense company with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located in Mumbai and Bangalore. Driven by its strong consumer-focus and innovative spirit, the company has aimed to be the market leader. Today, it is ranked amongst the best in the branded segment of all other incense companies in India. We manufacture a wide range of incense for our consumers, out of which HEM PRECIOUS RANGE our flagship brand is famous the world over.”
There is no argument that Hem brand incense is high quality and affordable. Some of my favourite fragrances within this brand is Violet, Oudh, Baby Powder and Dragon’s Blood. I use both sticks and cones, and find them to be very reliable and fresh when I purchase them from the company for resale at my little store. So, if you are on a budget, and want the scent experience without the slightly higher “gourmet” price tag, Hem is your best bet!
Until next time…
…Namaste!
If you’ve been out to the Market and made a visit to my little store – Namaste ~ Sleeping Gypsy – you will have seen some changes that are hard to ignore! But it’s all good! Let me fill you in…
Do you ever feel strongly drawn to a particular gemstone and not sure why? Maybe it is trying to tell you something…but what could it be? Early on, I came of the mind that we should let the stones tell us what we need, instead of hunting and searching for what we think that we need. Sometimes our intuition can be foggy or clouded by issues of life and such, so listening to the stones may be more helpful for us, than to spend hours or even days looking for the answers, when all we need to do is to let go and listen. Much easier, in my humble opinion.
Hello! I hope everyone is having an awesome start to a brand new week!
Good 2025 to all!
Since a very young age, I have been burning incense. My earliest memory was from the late 1960’s. Sometimes after school, I would take a bus downtown and hang out at this quaint little outdoor mall. In that mall was a cool little head shop. Every time I would walk by, I was distracted by a beautiful exotic aroma that would be drifting out onto the mall. I just had to go in and check it out. This store was amazing to my fourteen-year-old mind. Books, dayglow posters, smoking things, tarot decks, beaded curtains, music tapes, amazing jewelry, cool clothing, you name it, they had it. But what I was really searching for was the origin of that beautiful scent that was floating in the air. Incense. Nag Champa, to be exact. Had to have it. I took some home…the start of a beautiful life-long adventure.
Christmas time is here again! This year seems to be just a little bit more of a challenge for a lot of folks, given the state of the economy and all the cRaZiNeSs going on in the world today. I try not to let it all throw me off too much. So important to keep the focus on peace, love and helping others out.