Here are some of
the main questions I'm asked from time to time. Just click on the
question to be taken direct to the answer...
- How
do I place an order with you?
- I
need to get in touch with you... can I phone you? Or email?
- Can
I pay by credit card over the telephone?
-
How do I
burn incense sticks?
- What's the best
way to burn incense cones?
- Do
you have any tips on burning incense logs?
- How
should I support incense coils so they burn properly?
- What
holder should I use to burn Tibetan healing incense?
- What do I need to burn incense granules?
- My Laxmi Dhoop
won't stay alight... what should I do?
- What's the
difference between agarbathi and dhoop incense?
- How
do I light and use charcoal tablets?
- Any
other queries? Click here to contact me...
For
general information and safety precautions about burning incense and
candles, please click here...
ANSWERS:
-
How
do I place an order with you?
You
can find all the details on my Ordering
page.
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-
I
need to get in touch with you... can I phone you? Or email?
You're
welcome to get in touch - I'm always happy to help. All the details
are here...
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-
Can
I pay by credit card over the telephone?
Yes you can. You can find details of
all the payment options on my Ordering
page.
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-
How do I
burn incense sticks?
Manufacturers'
instructions are as follows: "Light
the tip of the incense stick until it flames. After the tip starts
to glow, blow out the flame. Fix the incense stick into a suitable
holder, on a firm surface, away from combustible materials." So
now you know!
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What's the best
way to burn incense cones?
Very
similar to burning an incense stick, really... light
the pointed end of the cone, and when it flames, blow it
out. Stand the cone on a suitable (heat-resistant) holder on a firm
surface, away from combustible materials. It's
quite normal for the last little bit of the cone at the bottom not
to burn... there's usually 1 - 2mm left.
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Do
you have any tips on burning incense logs?
Incense
logs (like Chandan Dhoop) are burnt in the same way as incense
cones... BUT they're more difficult to light, because of the larger
surface area involved. If you use a match, you'll probably burn your
fingers... so either use a cigarette lighter (if you have one) or
light the end of the log in a candle flame. You'll probably find you
need to light, and blow out, the end of the log several times before
it's glowing across the whole end surface. Chandan
Dhoop usually comes with a small metal disk included in the box, to
stand the logs on to burn... but if you use it, remember it'll get
hot as the log burns down - so stand it on something heatproof... an
old saucer or a ceramic tile is ideal.
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How
should I support incense coils so they burn properly?
Incense
coils need to be suspended in the air somehow in order to burn
properly... they'll go out if they're touching against a surface. I
stock a couple of incense holders that are suitable for burning
coils (as well as sticks)... but my "Temple of Heaven"
incense coils come with their own support - look in the box and
you'll find a metal pressing in the shape of a bird (I think it's
meant to be a crane, which is a symbol of immortality in China). Twist the bottom part of the
pressing through 90 degrees, so there are four feet you can stand it
upright on - take care though, the metal is VERY sharp! - then
suspend the incense coil, at its centre, from the bird's beak. Light
the outer end of the coil, blow it out once it's glowing, and enjoy
the fragrance... (If
that seems about as clear as mud, the photos below should show you
what I mean!)
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What
holder should I use to burn Tibetan healing incense?
It
can be a little difficult to find a holder for the Tibetan healing
incense I stock ... because the sticks are much fatter than ordinary
incense sticks, and they don't have a wooden / bamboo centre.
However, I stock two incense holders specifically designed for
Tibetan incense... the Tara
mask incense holder and the large
carved wood dish holder . You'll also find the Tibetan incense
sticks will fit in the terracotta Ganesh incense
holder.
If you want to do so, it's quite straightforward to modify most of the
wooden holders in my range, just by enlarging the hole for the
sticks to fit... I usually use a metal skewer for the job, but a
small drill would be better! And if you're very careful, you can
also open up the holes in the terracotta Buddha or dish-burner
too... another method is to use one of my smokeboxes - get yourself
a little dry sand, spread it in the ash-catcher groove inside the
box, light one or both ends of the Tibetan incense stick, and lay it
gently on the bed of sand.
(Another option
is to find a small pot of some description, fill it with fine dry
sand, and stand the Tibetan incense stick upright in the sand to
burn.)
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What do I need to burn incense granules?
Unlike most other types of
incense, the granules (which are essentially dried and ground
tree-resin) won't burn on their own. They need a source of heat to
vapourise them... the normal way to provide that heat is to place
them on burning charcoal. I stock suitable charcoal
tablets, which are specially treated to light very easily, even
with a match - unlike the charcoal you'd usually use for a barbecue!
You'll also need a holder for the charcoal... I'd suggest either my brass
"mystic" incense burner or a terracotta
dish. (I also offer a starter
pack which contains everything you need to
try this form of incense.)
For more information, take a look at my
advice on burning
incense resins etc...
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My Laxmi Dhoop
won't stay alight... what should I do?
Laxmi
Dhoop is a soft incense that is based on gum benzoin... so it can
tend to go out if it's not hot enough. I've found that the best way
to light it, and keep it alight, is to mould one or two sticks of it into a cone shape,
light the tip and allow it to flame for around 30 seconds before
blowing it out. (I know that sounds like an awfully long time, but
the dhoop needs that long to build up enough heat.) The disadvantage
of this is that Laxmi Dhoop burns with a very sooty flame - so you
can easily end up with a room full of floating smuts! Avoid the
problem by lighting it outside... then bring it indoors once you've
blown out the flame. Alternatively,
break the dhoop into small pellets and burn them on a charcoal
tablet, in the same way as you would incense granules.
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What's the
difference between agarbathi and dhoop incense?
That's
an easy one. They're Indian words - Agarbathi ( sometimes spelt
agarbatti, and often shortened to bathi or batti) simply means
"incense sticks", the type with a thin wood (agar-wood,
hence the name...) or bamboo
stick as support for the actual incense - like Nag Champa and many
others. Dhoop is basically any other type of incense... so incense
cones and coils are all dhoop... and so are the soft gummy incense
types, like Laxmi Dhoop.
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How
do I light and use charcoal tablets?
Here are the makers' instructions...
(Simple when you know how, isn't it?)
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