Tibetan incense, natural Tibetan craft

Incense from Tibet

Incense has been a part of Tibetans daily lives for centuries. The Tibetan incense is widely used for relaxation, meditation and the cleansing of the home environment. Due to the connection between Tibet and Buddhism, incense is also widely used in Buddhist temples and monasteries, and people will burn incense in the temples as gesture of worship.

What is Tibetan Incense?

Made exclusively from natural ingredients, with no harmful glues or carcinogens, the types of Tibetan incense are numerous. How traditional Tibetan incense is made Contrary to some incense like its Indian cousin, the Tibetan does not contain a central stick of bamboo to hold it together. Tibetan incense is made up of many different types of herbs, spices and flowers, and can contain as many as a few dozens of different natural ingredients. The main ingredient of Tibetan incense is wood. The wood is cut into small pieces and then ground into a fine powder. The other required ingredients are then added and the mixture is put into a container and left to dry.

Ingredients of Tibetan incense

The Tibetan incense always contains one type of wood and many other ingredients. Charcoal powder is sometimes added with water to helps to stick the ingredient together. The paste is then extruded into fine or large strips by hand and left outdoor to dry. Tibetans also use a rope incense. This is made using thin sheets of rice paper, cut into strips. A small amount of the dry, powdered ingredients is placed on the paper, spread evenly along the length of the paper. It is then gently twirled between the fingers to twist the paper.

Tibetan incense today

Still today, the incense is largely made by monks within Buddhist monasteries, however, there are now small factories of villagers making quality Tibetan incense. Buddhist monasteries are also incorporating some special ingredients that make the Tibetan incense suitable for specific spiritual practises.

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