Nag Champa Incense Sticks - Box of 40

Three components, in classical proportion: champaca flower extract for the sweet floral top, halmaddi resin from Ailanthus malabarica for the honeyed-balsamic middle, and sandalwood (Santalum album) for the woody base. The Stupa workshop sources real halmaddi - the species and the extraction method matter, because the resin gives the blend its signature sweetness and is increasingly substituted with synthetic alternatives in mass-market versions.

1. Hold the tip to a flame until it catches (5–10 seconds).
2. Blow the flame out so the stick smoulders.
3. Place in an incense holder on a heat-safe surface.
4. The citric opening arrives in the first minute; the resinous warmth develops across the burn.
5. Allow ash to cool fully before clearing.

Burns approximately 15–20 minutes per stick.

• Components: Magnolia champaca · Ailanthus malabarica halmaddi · Santalum album
• Type: Three-component classic Indian blend
• Origin: Stupa workshop, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
• Source name: nag champa (Hindi)
• Pack: Box of 40 sticks · ~10cm
• Construction: Solid stick · no bamboo core
• Burn time: ~15–20 minutes per stick
• Aromatic profile: Floral top · honeyed-balsamic middle · woody base
• Halmaddi: Real Ailanthus malabarica resin · not synthetic substitute
• Storage: Cool, dry, away from light

Despite Nag Champa's global recognition, real halmaddi has become uncommon. Ailanthus malabarica grows mainly in the Western Ghats of India, the tree is slow to mature, and extracting the resin is labour-intensive - three factors that pushed the mass-market incense industry toward synthetic substitutes from the 1980s onward. Real halmaddi gives the blend its characteristic sweet-balsamic depth; the synthetic versions reproduce the top notes but miss the middle. The Stupa workshop's recipe uses the genuine resin.