I want to smell like a Hindu temple!

[voodoobaby]

So far I've visited two Hindu temples for different reasons, and both times I was greeted with this beautiful floral scent that permeated everything. Tonight I celebrated Holi at a local temple and noticed that some of the powders had that scent. Problem is that I have NO IDEA what it is. It could possibly be rose, but it doesn't really smell like any rose I've ever smelled. Perhaps it's a mix of different things, I'm not sure. Does anyone know? More importantly, can anyone point me in the direction of a BPAL that has this scent? I would kill to be able to smell it whenever I wanted to.

 

My apologies if anyone has asked for this before or if it belongs in a thread, but I searched as well as I could think to.

[sirsaber]

Perhaps some of the Temple blends in Twilight Alchemy Lab?

[donnatron]

I've been rolling this around in my head since this afternoon and the two best recs I can come up with are Wanton and Rakshasa. For me, patchouli and rose are the essence of a Hindu temple, although I'll admit I'm pulling up memories from grade eleven when I think of the scent. You could also try Desire.

[Miss Lynx]

Namaste would be a good choice, I think. Tushnamatay also has very much a temple-like ambiance, but it's more sandalwoody and less floral than it sounds like you want.

 

Also - this might seem like an odd pick, but The Clod & Pebble, from the Lupercalia update, smells kind of like Indian floral incense to me. The rose is a bit harsh right now, but I think with a bit of aging it could be lovely...

[salixnoir]

I think what you have been smelling is an incense called Nag Champa. It is a lovely scent made up of resins, gums, spices & flowers. I suggest getting some to see if that is the floral scent you've been captivated by.

 

And do a search to see what BPAL blends contain Nag Champa. You may also want to search for Plumeria since Plumeria flowers are known as Champa flowers in India.

 

Good luck!

[ivyandpeony]

Champaca flower or nag champa incense is what immediately came to mind for me, too - but I have never visited a Hindu temple, so I didn't want to just jump to the conclusion that it was what you are smelling. Salixnoir's suggestion that you just sniff some of the incense is smart, it's available very widely, even at the counter at some gas stations! (Seriously, the same brand that I received as a gift in a package from Magical Omaha is sold at the Chevron around the corner from me - and that's not to say by any means that MO carries gas station quality products ) If the fragrance is reminiscent of what you smelled in the temples you visited, then you've cracked the code.

 

And if nag champa &/or champaca flower is what you are in search of, you are in luck - there's a thread right here with lots of suggestions. The fragrance of the incense is actually one that I do not like at all - and champaca's ruined a few blends for me, it doesn't always play nice on my skin. Vasakasajja and Hellion are the only blends with it that work well on me.

 

But according to the search engine, you can also find champaca flower in Khajuraho, Defutata, Kubla Khan, Temple Viper, Dr. John Seward, Prospero, Pumpkin II (from 2007) and Two Monsters. Gaueko and Urd contain a nag champa note.

 

I think the difference, as far as BPAL perfumes go, is that the champaca flower note will be more pure floral and the nag champa note is similar to the scent of the incense, which is derived from the flower but contains some other elements and of course, will be very resinous.

[furygrrl]

Just seconding the rec for Tushnamatay - it's like sweet Indian incense in a bottle. I absolutely love it.

 

If you can track down some Chintamani-Dhupa, you might like that as well - it's similar to Tush, but a touch drier, a touch woodsier.

 

In fact, most of the temple-esque scents (imo), are the ones with lots of sandalwood in them: Dragon's Claw, Rakshasa, Sri Lanka, even Temple of Dreams (mostly on the drydown - it's all smoky lavender to start). I haven't tried Clod and the Pebble yet, but I want to, so that's another rec I'd second. You could also try Mama-Ji - it's like being in an Indian spice store that sells exotic flowers, and all the scents are co-mingling and wafting around you. Just lovely.

 

I love Wanton and Urd, but neither evoked much of an Indian vibe on my skin. The former is very lush and syrupy-sweet, heavy on the rose, the latter is very grape incense. Yummy, but not very "Hindu Temple" to my nose.

[portalkat]

Just seconding the rec for Tushnamatay - it's like sweet Indian incense in a bottle. I absolutely love it.

I was just going to recommend Tushnamatay as well. I was thinking that the smell might be nag champa, but I went to this site here and realized that there were so many other things that it could be and got confused. I go for anything with the incense vibe and I think that Philosopher in Meditation is another good one.

[ivyandpeony]

Perhaps some of the Temple blends in Twilight Alchemy Lab?

 

I meant to mention in my earlier post - I don't think that any of the Temple blends from TAL are going to suit your purposes; they're ritual oils and although some people may wear them on the skin (contrary to the TAL disclaimer), it's not really what they are intended for. They aren't in the category of TALs that are meant for dual use as perfumes and ritual oils.

[salixnoir]

Champaca flower or nag champa incense is what immediately came to mind for me, too -

 

~snip~

 

I think the difference, as far as BPAL perfumes go, is that the champaca flower note will be more pure floral and the nag champa note is similar to the scent of the incense, which is derived from the flower but contains some other elements and of course, will be very resinous.

 

From what I understand Champa flower is different from Champaca flower. Plumeria flowers are known as Champa flowers in India but Champaca flower (Michelia champaca) is part of the Magnolia family.

 

It is quite possible that different manufacturers use either flower in their blends. So perhaps add Magnolia as a part of your search as well.

 

Hope this isn't confusing you.

[ivyandpeony]

...

From what I understand Champa flower is different from Champaca flower. Plumeria flowers are known as Champa flowers in India but Champaca flower (Michelia champaca) is part of the Magnolia family.

 

...

 

Thank you, salixnoir! I think that you are absolutely correct after looking at the wikipedia articles on the two different plants/flowers.

 

I was wondering how I could have missed the fact that there are actually two plants with different names and qualities - I'm far from an authority on all things perfume, but this was the sort of thing where I felt like I must have learned it incorrectly and it stuck with me (do you know that feeling?) Lo and behold, a little googling and I saw that the venerable Mandy Aftel uses the terms champa and champaca interchangeably in her book Essence and Alchemy. I am pretty sure that's where I must have read it. (That link should take you to page 114 of the Google preview of the book.)

 

That in turn made me wonder - have I been thinking that nag champa and champaca smell alike only because I was operating under a misconception? Then I found this article by a natural perfumer, who mentions that a lot of people find them similar because one of the resins used in nag champa smells similar to champaca flower. So at least that makes me feel like a justifiable idiot

 

I am so glad that you pointed this out!

[kraken]

According to the interwebs, "the [Holi powder] colors are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors".

 

Neem is a lovely woody-herbal scent that they use in soap a lot in India. I've used neem soap and you can probably get it at a health food type store.

 

Kumkum and Haldi are made from tumeric, that spicy powder in the ginger family that turns curries yellow.

 

Bilva seems to be a tree used in Āyurvedic and other alternative medicine, but I can't find anything on what it smells like.

 

Off hand, I think the best recommendation I can make is Mama-Ji (spices, cardamom, nutmeg, and flowers).

[jessiesquash]

I haven't been in a Hindu temple in ages but I recommend checking out Anubis because it has a similar resiny flowery vibe that I think comes close. I also recommend Diwali because it has that temple incense blend mixed with sugary sweets smell. It reminds me so much of India. I bet though that just find something with Nag Champa and light florals will do the trick. Maybe even blending single notes would work......

[voodoobaby]

Thanks, everyone, for all the suggestions! My wishlist just got a mile longer.

 

I saw that nag champa was a common suggestion. Actually, I've been burning that incense since I was about 13, and while it's one of my favorite scents ever, it's not what I'm looking for. The Hindu temple smell I'm thinking of is a lot less earthy than nag champa...I'm starting to wonder if it is a type of rose. I will check out neem, though -- that could possibly be it.

[forspecial_plate]

...

From what I understand Champa flower is different from Champaca flower. Plumeria flowers are known as Champa flowers in India but Champaca flower (Michelia champaca) is part of the Magnolia family.

 

...

 

Thank you, salixnoir! I think that you are absolutely correct after looking at the wikipedia articles on the two different plants/flowers.

 

I was wondering how I could have missed the fact that there are actually two plants with different names and qualities - I'm far from an authority on all things perfume, but this was the sort of thing where I felt like I must have learned it incorrectly and it stuck with me (do you know that feeling?) Lo and behold, a little googling and I saw that the venerable Mandy Aftel uses the terms champa and champaca interchangeably in her book Essence and Alchemy. I am pretty sure that's where I must have read it. (That link should take you to page 114 of the Google preview of the book.)

 

That in turn made me wonder - have I been thinking that nag champa and champaca smell alike only because I was operating under a misconception? Then I found this article by a natural perfumer, who mentions that a lot of people find them similar because one of the resins used in nag champa smells similar to champaca flower. So at least I feel like a justifiable idiot

 

I think I still have a little sample of champaca absolute form Nature's Gift.....it's really different from the traditional nag champa incense that I'm used to.

 

Midnight On The Midway is probably my favorite nag champa scent. It's absolutely wonderful!

[Maia]

Thanks, everyone, for all the suggestions! My wishlist just got a mile longer.

 

I saw that nag champa was a common suggestion. Actually, I've been burning that incense since I was about 13, and while it's one of my favorite scents ever, it's not what I'm looking for. The Hindu temple smell I'm thinking of is a lot less earthy than nag champa...I'm starting to wonder if it is a type of rose. I will check out neem, though -- that could possibly be it.

 

Actually I was thinking rose, too. One scent that smells indian to me is the scent of rosewater. The rosewater I sometimes use smells like incensy rose. Scherezade smelled like rose incense to me when I tried it, but maybe that's just my nose being weird.

 

Just a note on neem - neem oil smells vile, like burned garlic. I assume the fresh or dried plant smells better? I've never heard of it being used in incense though.

[voodoobaby]

Update:

 

OK...prepare to be weirded out. I just received an enormous swap package, including an imp of A Bold Bluff. And yeah, that's it. I don't know WHAT could possibly be in it that makes it smell like the interior of those temples and the Holi powders, but it's there. The only thing I can think of is tobacco? Is fresh tobacco used in Hindu worship at all? I am confused, but happy. I've found a new favorite scent.

 

Oh, and the more I smell it, the more I am likening it to some kind of spicy note in nag champa after all, but it's still definitely very different. It's more like the nag champa perfume oil I got my mother for Christmas than the actual incense, and even then, not so much. Also, maybe it's not floral? It's so hard to tell. Again, I'm confused.

[ivyandpeony]

After reading through all the latest developments, this one seems like an overly obvious suggestion - but I was wondering if you've tried Kali, voodoobaby? It's very complex and I've never been able to describe it well although it was one of my first ZOMG BPALs - I think it's one of those blends where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, if you know what I mean.

 

The notes are "...blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey."

[kraken]

Update:

OK...prepare to be weirded out. I just received an enormous swap package, including an imp of A Bold Bluff. And yeah, that's it.

It could be the tonka--it has a spicy, vanilla meets clove and cinnamon like scent. Now I want to go home and sniff my imp of A Bold Bluff

[abejita]

I lived in a Hare Krishna temple for several years. Champaca flower smells nothing like nag champa. The Hindu temple smell is a combination, probably, of several types of incense and the ghee lamps. Where I lived, we used a lot of keshar chandan incense as well as nag champa.

[martiangurll]

If you can get an imp of it, Kharujajo smells like Indian temples to me. Although, I must say as a caveat, I have never been to India.

[Lethran]

I found it! Ingamnok Jewlers smells like Indian temple incense with stone and silver! It's Lupercalia,, so if you are still looking, move quickly.