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Incense or Agarbatti as it is known in the Indian Subcontinet is composed of aromatic materials including flowers, spices and herbs, blended into a paste and solidified on a flammable stick. It releases a pleasing fragrant smoke when burned, which varies in smell and intensity acoording to the product.
Many eastern religious ceremonies and spiritual purificatory rites employ incense, a practice that persists to this day. One common motif is of incense as a form of sacrificial offering to a deity.
Incense can be, like art for the eyes, music for the ears, or fine cuisine for the palate, an indulgence for the sense of smell. Many people burn incense to appreciate its smell, without assigning any other specific significance to it, in the same way that the forgoing items can be produced or consumed solely for the contemplation or enjoyment of the refined sensory experience. |
