Saved ID
Incense smoke from the great burner in front of Senso-jiA Balinese Hindu offering in front of a Ganesha statue in UbudThe great Botafumeiro censer hanging in a cathedral

9 entries

Traditions

Every region burns incense differently. Start wherever you're curious.

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Incense smoke from the great burner in front of Senso-ji

Japan

15 incense

Fine, low-smoke sticks and a formal art of appreciation known as kōdō, where people are said to "listen" to incense.

Incense smoke rising from sticks beside two brass pots

India

11 incense

Home of masala agarbatti and dense dhoop, with incense woven into daily worship and home life.

A Balinese Hindu offering in front of a Ganesha statue in Ubud

Indonesia

13 incense

A historic source of the world's aromatics: Sumatran benzoin, Timorese sandalwood, Maluku clove and Indonesian agarwood.

A large metal burner smoking near a stupa

Himalaya

5 incense

Herbal, high-altitude blends from Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, shaped by Buddhist practice and traditional medicine.

Burning incense coils hanging from a temple ceiling

China & Vietnam

2 incense

Temple coils, ancestral offerings and legendary agarwood.

A white censer-shaped monument on a hill

Arabian Peninsula

4 incense

The land of frankincense routes and of bakhoor, the perfumed smoke of hospitality.

Incense smoke rising beside coffee equipment

Horn of Africa

4 incense

Among the world's great sources of frankincense and myrrh, with incense as part of coffee ceremonies and daily life.

The great Botafumeiro censer hanging in a cathedral

Mediterranean & Europe

8 incense

From ancient Egyptian kyphi and Greek resins to Orthodox liturgy and French paper incense.

Incense smoke rising over a market stall

The Americas

5 incense

Copal of the Maya and Aztec worlds, Andean palo santo, and the sacred plants of North America's Indigenous peoples.

Photo credits (9)

Photos were resized, converted to WebP and may be cropped for display. Each keeps its original license.