Bhagwan: Guava, Mango
These two packs are from my order from Bhagwan Incense (November 2023) and were sent to me as samples by Eugene, the owner. Both varieties cost €4.95 and contain 15g, which in the case of these two corresponds to seven sticks. They are approximately 23cm or 9″ long.
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.
Guava
Guava hits the nail on the head. They smell exactly how I imagine guava to smell like. I have already said almost the same thing about Shekhar’s Guava, which has a strong similarity to them. The powder coating of the Shekhar’s sticks is a little paler, and they are an inch shorter than those of Bhagwan, although my pack included a stick that also only measures 8″ (or approx. 20.5cm). The style is identical, and the smell is extremely similar.
Like those, Bhagwan – Guava makes me think of sweets like Skittles or maybe gummy bears. In a direct comparison, I notice the sweaty note in Shekhar’s a little more clearly and Bhagwan seem a little less shrill to me than these. Bhagwan‘s Guava seem to have a bit more sweetness, but their aroma is similarly tart-fruity, sweet-sour and tangy. Without smelling them right next to each other, I’m not sure if I could tell the two apart. However, in direct comparison, I find Bhagwan – Guava a little friendlier and more pleasant. I assume that Bhagwan‘s sticks are fresher than the pack of Shekhar’s that Steve gave me. The difference might be due to age, but in any case it is in a range that could also be explained by a batch difference.
I noticed that I find these types of smells more pleasant in cooler weather than during summer, where they would actually fit much better, thematically. At around 15°C, it’s just warm enough to leave the windows open for a while, and I’m really enjoying Guava right now.
Mango
Smelling the raw sticks is a bit like sticking your nose into a pack of dried mangoes, only much more concentrated.
When lit, the smell of Mango reminds me of mango-flavoured hookah tobacco. The smell is less sweet than that of Guava, slightly tarter and fresher in an almost green way. It definitely smells like mango, but in a very intense, almost overdriven way that’s too much for me personally.
Max likes them, to whom I already passed on the pack of Shekhar’s – Guava.
Summary:
I just can’t seem to get comfortable with this type of scent-concept, but I can well imagine that people who aren’t as opposed to the idea of fruit-scented incense as I, might be seriously impressed by these two scents.
At the beginning of the year, someone like this posted on r/Incense. The person had bought Guava incense sticks, which later turned out to be Ramakrishna’s Guava. If you are interested in delving into the topic of these Goa-based brands, I recommend reading the comments section of the linked post. 😉