Well you know how much we love handmade and a ‘cottage industry’! We’ve been wanting to expand our incense offerings and have been looking out for a range that was different to our Japanese style versions, still grounded in a traditional style but was not run of the mill. Stupa of courier fitted the bill perfectly. So here is their story…..

STUPA incense is a socially and environmentally conscious business that supports the cottage industry providing employment to many local artisans in the Kathmandu Valley, essentially allowing them to continue their trades within their own homes. They have been in the industry for over 2 decades, their incense is handmade using the Lama Dorjee technique. Please note that when Stupa Incense started their business they were taught the ancient art of incense making by Lama Dorjee and his recipe continues to be used to create their incense to this day. Their business is based in the foothills of the Nagarjung Forest in the Kathmandu Valley and as a result they have direct access to a wide range of pure natural ingredients like herbs, plants, leaves and tree barks that are foraged, dried, ground down and then blended to create their unique incense sticks. Their packaging is either fully recyclable or re-usable and they are huge supporters of artisan hand made lokta paper with many of their products being either wrapped in this paper or actually packaged in stunning lokta paper boxes.

Dhupaya (or Rope) incense is traditional to the indigenous people of the Newari Community in Nepal, who burn rope style incense daily during meditation practice and as offerings to the Gods, popular in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It is made by turning many different aromatic herbs foraged from the Himalayas into finely powdered form and then wrapping them in very thin strips of Lokta paper (an ancient form of Nepalese artisan made paper) and gently twisting it into what appears to be a rope-like incense. There are 8 pieces and they come packaged in a lokha paper tube with a black ceramic incense holder, burn time is approximately 30 minutes. Burning dish is sold separately.

Krishna: Krishna is a Hindu deity, the God of protection, compassion, tenderness and most importantly love. He is the deliverer of joy and happiness. The smoke that is created from this incense helps to connect with Krishna and is perfect for daily use, when you are in need of nurturing and comfort or require help with romantic love.

Ganesh: Ganesh is a Hindu deity, the God of new beginnings, he is most well known for removing obstacles. The smoke that is created from this incense helps to connect with Ganesh and is perfect during times of change or challenge or when you are looking to complete a major project. He aids in meeting challenges with a calm attitude, always keeping our ego in check.

Austha Suganda: Austha is a sanskrit word that roughly translates to "faith", whilst suganda translates to one of the four fragrances as defined in the Dharma-Samgraha, which is an extensive glossary of Buddhist terms in Sanskrit, written by a monk in 2nd century AD. The scent helps us to connect with the purity of our spirit and our innate knowledge that we are part of the whole universe.

Karma: Karma is a sanskrit word that translates to "action", it is a concept adopted by eastern religions where like causes create like effects, therefore positive actions lead to positive effects while negative actions or deeds lead to harmful consequences. The smoke that is created from this incense helps to connect with this concept, allowing for reflection upon our own existence and the current path that we are on.

Frankincense: Frankincense is traditionally used in ceremonies, rituals and also for meditation. It is commonly used for protection and purification rituals but is also perfect for the purpose of warding off any negative energies while attracting positive ones. This incense is also ideal for the purpose of creating a sacred space for meditation, healing or connecting with spirit.

Remember to never leave incense burning unattended! Always place to a non flammable surface!