Bhagwan: Opium, Hari Leela, Wood Blossom
I received these three packs as samples from Eugene, the owner of Bhagwan Incense, when I ordered there at the end of 2023.
The boxes contain 15g for all varieties. Opium and Wood Blossom cost €4.95, Hari Leela costs €3.95.
I received 9 sticks of Opium that weighed about 10g, of Hari Leela there were also 9 sticks weighing about 11g. So you can expect around 13 sticks per pack. At Wood Blossom there were 13. This results in a unit price of 38 or 30 ct.
Disclosure: Due to my history and friendly relationship with Eugene, the owner of Bhagwan Incense, I would like to point out that I cannot write reviews of this brand with complete impartiality. I write a lot of the Bhagwan reviews based on samples that were given to me – these are labelled accordingly.
All reviews are unpaid and reflect my honest opinion, but you are welcome to consider them as advertising.
![Bhagwan - Opium](https://blog.rauchfahne.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bhagwan-Opium_72g.jpg)
Opium
I usually avoid the Opium fragrance genre, as I have never encountered Opium incense sticks that I liked. In fact, I usually find them unpleasant. Not even Mother’s – one of my favourite brands – has managed to change that.
Unfortunately, Bhagwan doesn’t achieve that either, but their Opium is at least the first one of the genre which didn’t make me feel the urge to immediately extinguish them again.
Opium have a similar pungent note to what I found in Bhagwan – Orange Blossom, and orange blossom is actually mentioned as an ingredient in the description of Opium. When diluted well, it has a tangy and fruity appearance.
The scent is primarily tart, fresh and floral. When I tried them for the first time in October last year, I found the smell bitter and decided not to bring them out again until it was warmer, and I could have windows open while burning.
Now, I find a woody component in it and some vanilla is present, but not prominent. Over time, I also notice a slightly powdery aspect to the scent.
For me, Opium has a perfume smell that has a certain complexity, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t suit my taste. Mike (ORS) mentions it briefly in one of his Bhagwan reviews and sounds rather intrigued by it; I have also seen one or two fans of this fragrance on r/Incense.
![Bhagwan - Hari Leela](https://blog.rauchfahne.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bhagwan-Hari_Leela_72g.jpg)
Hari Leela
“Hari Leela” seems to be quite a popular name for incense sticks, I got samples from my friend Silver who bought Hari Leela from Vrindavan Bazaar, but they smell entirely different.
The Hari Leela from Pure seem similar to me, though. The description of both mentions the flower of the Bakul or Bakula tree. I got a sample of the Pure variant from the Absolute line during my first incense exchange (2022). I wasn’t very impressed with them either. However, there is a review of Bhagwan – Hari Leela by Steve, who likes it very much.
The raw incense sticks smell quite tempting; Here I am struck by a heady, sweet, and lush floral bouquet, but as soon as I light a stick, the smell seems strangely dull. I have to give the scent an unusual amount of space to open up to me, but even then, it remains relatively flat.
Primarily, I smell vanilla and a heavy, intense sweetness that reminds me of cake cream. Almost as if hidden in an intermediate dimension, an idea of the bouquet that I smell on the raw sticks floats above that. I notice it most clearly when two-thirds of the stick has already burned down.
I wonder if I just can’t smell Bakula properly. There are certain smells and tastes that some people cannot perceive or perceive differently due to genetic characteristics. The best-known example is probably coriander, whose leaves taste like soap to some. My mother can’t smell nor taste woodruff.
![Bhagwan - Wood Blossom](https://blog.rauchfahne.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bhagwan-Wood_Blossom_nackerd_72g.jpg)
Wood Blossom
Wood Blossom is also sweet and vanilla-heavy. Its floral aspect is tangy and slightly fruity, and reminds me a little of Opium and Orange Blossom. At least in the raw smell, I find it slightly pungent, like both of those. It is a bright, cheerful and lively floral scent.
I don’t find Wood Blossom to be particularly woody, but it has a strong warmth that blends with the rich, creamy sweetness.
If there is good ventilation, the floral character predominates and I find the scent quite pleasant; otherwise, the sweetness builds up too much for me and becomes cloying. I find this scent to be perfume-like as well and like the other two, Wood Blossom is not really my cup of tea.
I discovered that Eugene’s other incense line, Monsoon Incense, also has a variety called Wood Blossom. Their description corresponds well with how I perceive the aroma of this Bhagwan edition. They look different, but likewise look like they could have been produced by HMS. Maybe Bhagwan – Wood Blossom is the more potent variant? In any case, in the description they are described as a “limited edition”.
By the way: When I got the sticks, there were only a few scattered glitter particles visible on Opium and Wood Blossom, but now they both glitter like crazy. Hari Leela still look the same as when I received them.
Nice reviews! I’ve just burnt Bhagwans Opium and I largely agree with yours. It’s perfumy but does not smell unnatural, I don’t detect much tartness or bitterness, but I wholly agree on the pungentness, to me it reminds of some kind of a fruit that is almost overripe. This is definitely the most complex “Opium” type stick that I’ve tried, scent is adjacent to the cheap Opium style sticks, but not as cloying as they usually are and much more natural.
Thank you! A very interesting read. I like how you mix in links to people who like each one. It shows integrity and an openness to the idea that it just might not be for you but might be good for others.
That’s very kind, thank you. 🙂
You know, just because I started an incense blog, I’m not a super-nose or something, nor is my opinion (and perception) suddenly superior to others.
I also like to remind people, that the perception of scent is highly individual and subjective. Contrasting my Reviews with those of others is an easy way to do this.
Steve is the same opinion and links to my reviews as well, and I like the collegiality. 🙂