Chaitanya’s – Vrindavan Flower

Once again, I bought a bundle of second-hand incense sticks on Kleinanzeigen, and by chance, it was from the same family I had bought from before, who had gifted me the samples of Chaitanya’s – Kesar Chandan. This time, they included a generous amount of these Vrindavan Flower sticks.

Chaitanya’s – Vrindavan Flower are quite similar to the sticks of the same name from Goloka. The two most noticeable differences are that Chaitanya’s version is less tart yet sweeter, and has a pleasant freshness that the Goloka sticks lack.

Top: Chaitanya’s, bottom: Goloka.

However, they bear an even greater resemblance to Gwenwedh-Kräuter from Elbenzauber. I can barely tell any difference between these two. Chaitanya’s might be a bit sweeter, although their sweetness seems to fluctuate during the burn. The same goes for their freshness, which is likewise more pronounced than in the Elbenzauber sticks.

The visual similarity between the two brands is also much higher.
Top: Chaitanya’s, bottom: Elbenzauber.

Like the other two mentioned, these Chaitanya’s sticks are relatively tart in a herbal way, and they slightly remind me of mothballs, but nowhere near as much as the ones from Goloka. Chaitanya’s are also woody and powdery, but I don’t find them musky like Gwenwedh-Kräuter.

Given the visual and olfactory similarities, I have to wonder if they might come from the same manufacturer, and if the differences are just due to batch variations.

However, as the sticks currently present themselves to me, I prefer Chaitanya’s, despite the fluctuating scent. Still, their fragrance is not necessarily my cup of tea. Nonetheless, I find it useful for neutralising unpleasant odours in the house. But then again, that applies to all three.