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AboutUs Agarbattis

Origin
History
Pureincenseisresinorhardenednaturalgumfoundonbarksoftreesthatiscutoff
andbrokenintopieces.Whensprinkledonembersitburnsgivingoutafragrant
Beliefs smoke,e.g.frankincense,myrrh/guggul,loban.
Activities
Incenseisalsoderivedfromwoods,barks,stems,branches,seeds,fruits,roots,
BWCMotto
rhizomes,herbs,buds,flowers,leavesandgrasses.
Achievements
Incenseisindirectlyburntordirectlylittoreleasepowerfulfragranceduring
RemarkableAchievements
religiousceremonies,forritualpurification,meditation,andaromatherapy.
20112020 Surprisingly,itisoftenfortifiedwithanimalderivedfixativessuchasoperculum,
20012010 musk,civetandambergris.

19912000 BamboonotAgarwoodSticks
19811990
Thenameagarbattiforincenseorjosssticksoriginatedasacombinationofthewordsagar(wood)and
19751980 batti(light).But,agarbattisticksarenowmadeofbambooonlyandonealsofindsmanyvariationsin
Awareness theiringredientsandmanufacture.AssamandTripuraarethelargestproducersofbamboosticksfor
agarbattis.
Hinsavs.Ahinsa
LearnAbout Thereareabout10,000agarbattimanufacturingunitsinthecountry,butonlyaround50brandedones
aresoldacrossIndia.Agarbattisareevenexportedtomeethalftheworldsdemand.Nowonder,in2009
Campaigns
theGovernmentofIndiadeclaredagarbattiasahandicraftproductandbroughtitunderthejurisdiction
Posters oftheExportPromotionCouncilforHandicrafts.
Info&Action
Modernaromaincensestickcompaniesalsofallundersmallscalecottageindustries.Theyusenew
AVegLifestyle machinesandproductstoproducedifferentvarietiesofagarbattis.Dependingonthemethodof
BWCInvestmentGuide productionandingredientsutilised,theburningtimediffersfromacoupleofminutestohours.
VegShopper'sGuide
SincemostIndianfamiliesuseatleastoneagarbattiaday,itisanevergrowingmarketwithnewand
EducationalMaterial newervarietiesbeingintroduced.Popularfragrancesaresandalfollowedbyfloral.
Legislation
Manufacture
CurrentMonthCalendar
Althoughthereareafewfactories(morelikesmallsheds)wheretheagarbattisaremanufacturedfrom
QuarterlyJournals
scratch,thebulkofagarbattiproductioniscontractedouttowomenandchildren(aged6to60)wholive
20162020 inslums.
20112015
Agarbattismainlycontainsandalwood,oodh/agarwood,patchouli(bushyherb),vetiver(grass),star
20062010 aniseandclovesthathavebeengroundinalargemortarandpestlealongwithwaterandalittle
20012005 saltpeter(mineralpotassiumnitrate)toformamasalaorspicepastethatisappliedtothin6to12inch
bamboosticks.
19962000
19911995 Thebamboostickiscoatedthreequartersormoreofitslengthwithsuchanaromaticsubstance
19861990 masala.Thequarterorlessoftheuncoatedbamboostick,usedtoholdtheagarbattiwhenlit,couldbe
colourcoded,i.e.paintedwithacolouruniquetomatchthefragrance.
19811985
19771980 Dependingonthetypedesired,twobasicproceduresareadopted:rollingand/ordipping.
Recipes
Rollinginvolvesfirstkneadingastickymixture.Theingredientsusedvaryfrommanufacturerto
VeganFood manufacturer.Someofthemarecoaldust(obtainedthroughburningwoodpowder),sawdust(unburned
woodpowder),aromaticwoodpowders(especiallysandalwood),fineflour,oilandwater.But,jigat
VegBeautyRecipes
powder,anaturalbindinggluethatactsasawatersolubleadhesiveisanessentialingredientofthis
VegFoodforDogs&Cats masala.Itisthepowderedbarkofaparticulartree,andisalsoknownaspatta,makko,andbummi
VegHouseholdRecipes powders.
Veg@Lent
Thestickymasalaisrolledontobamboosticksplacedonslantingwoodenboards,followingwhichthey
PlayYourPart arespreadouttodry,counted,andeventuallytiedintobundles.
SupporttheCause
Thesticksmaythenbedippedinto,orsprayedwith,amixtureofonepartfragrance(ofaromaticplants
Appeal orperfume)andtwopartsoil,andkeptverticallytodry.Thislaststepinproduction,ifdone,isusually
MembershipForm carriedoutatthefactoryafterwhichthedriedsticksarewrappedingelatine/waxpaperorsealedin
plasticbags,andpackedinboxesreadyforsale.
GiftMembershipForm
BWCPledgeForm Cheap,lowqualityagarbattisaremadebydippingunscentedblankorpunksticksinamixtureof
perfumeandessentialoils.Punksticksarebamboostickswhichhavetheupperportionofeachstick
Donation
coatedwithpastemadeofsawdustfromMachilushardwood.Thesawdustishighlyabsorbentand
FAQ retainsfragrancewell.Charcoalisalsousedtomakesimilarabsorbentblanksticksforagarbattis.
Organizational
Masalaagarbattislikedurbarandchampaaremadebyblendingseveralsolidscentedingredientsalong
IssueBased withjigatpowderintoapasteandrolledontoabamboostick.
AnimalRights
Dhoopissimilarlymade,butlacksthecorebamboostickandcontainsahigherpercentageof
ContactUs sandalwood.

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ContactUs
Certainvarietiesofagarbattiscontainhoney.
JobVacancies
Animaloriginsubstances

Perfumesusedforrollinganddippingagarbattiscouldcontainafixativeofanimalorigin.Itisnot
commonlyknownoreasilyadmittedbymanufacturersthatafixativecalledOperculum/Nakhla
(gastropod/musselofmarineorigin/gilloffish/hornyshellofmollusc)isusedbyagarbattianddhoop
manufacturersinIndia.AfterthefishysmellisremovedtheNakhlaisgroundtoapowderandusedas
aningredient.

BeautyWithoutCrueltyapproachedtheDevelopmentCommissioner(Handicrafts)underwhichthe
industryfallswitharequesttodirectallagarbattimanufacturerstomarkveg/nonvegontheirproducts.
AreplyfromtheAllIndiaAgarbathiManufacturersAssociation(theapexbodyrepresentingtheindustry
havingamembershipofover500firms)statedthattothebestoftheirknowledgenoneofthe
manufacturerswereusinganimalingredientsandthereasonscitedwereavailabilityofexcellent
syntheticsubstitutesandnonavailabilityofanimalingredients.BWCdoesnotacceptthisasanaccurate
answer.

BWChasthereforewrittenagaintotheDevelopmentCommissioner(Handicrafts)requestingthatan
advisorybesenttomanufacturerstomarkagarbattisandotherincensebasedproductswiththe
veg/nonvegsymbolbecausethemajorityofIndianreligionsbelieveinmaintainingthepurityof
vegetarianismwhenperformingpuja.

4PrinceofWalesDrive,Wanowrie,Pune411040.Tel:(020)26861166.Fax:(020)26861420
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