Incense Making

The raw materials for incense such as dwarf rhododendrons, juniper and other herbs are often collected from the mountains, dried and powdered for making incense. For incense sticks, the powder is then mixed with water to make dough which is then put through a noodle press to turn it into sticks. The noodles are cut to desired length and dried before they are packed in bunches. Both powdered and stick incense are burnt to create pleasant offering of smell and for purification. Different ingredients are used for different rituals and incense is often given as a gift by people from the alpine highlands to those in the sub-tropical lowlands.