Re: Nag Champa, its Cult origins ...

[Guest guest]

I have been reading the posts about Nag Champa and I think a little

clarification is in order regarding the origins of this fragrance. The

fragrance sold by various FO suppliers as " Nag Champa " is based on one

particular, highly popular brand of incense from India, " Sai Baba Nag Champa

Incense " . (India, of course, having a tradition dating from antiquity of

burning incense for devotional purposes.) Sai Baba (aka Satya Sai Baba) is an

Indian Guru with a large international following.

It would seem to be fair to say that his movement is a Cult with a capital C.

The incense is the only commercial product to which he has lent his name. {Here

( www.global-perspectives.com/aroma/nag/ ) it is stated: " This product, besides

being the largest selling incense in the world, is the only commercial product

that the living Avatar, Sai Baba has ever lent his name to. "

Another site ( http://www.1sticknagchampa.com/ ) also claims it is the world's

most popular incense: " Original Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa Incense, made with

all-natural resins, gums, flowers, and oils. Simply the most popular incense in

the world! Handmade in Bangalore, India. " }

You will never see a list of ingredients on the original incense, as it is

highly proprietary information. Champaca flower surely has to do with how it

got its name, but its scent is far more resinous than floral. It would be hard

to duplicate with the EO's available to us in the West, as there are so many

exotic oils that are never exported from that part of the world.

I witnessed some of the Sai Baba phenomenon first hand while I was in India,

where many Westerners travel to pay homage to him, but it only takes a simple

Google search to reveal some of the controversy surrounding this self-proclaimed

reincarnation of God on earth, the least of which are faked " miracles " over many

decades, and more serious being many decades worth of allegations of sexual

abuse and pedophilia, similar to the allegations facing the Catholic priesthood

at this time. For further reading about these issues, visit:

http://www.salon.com/people/feature/2001/07/25/baba/ and

http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gk1415/sai-baba.htm (warning, this is somewhat

disturbing/explicit news reporting.)

Here's a look at the Guru himself and some of the movement's official info:

(http://members.aol.com/introsai/)

Sorry to be so pedantic, but I'm sharing this info. simply so that if anyone is

offering Nag Champa FO scented products, they understand and are able to answer

any questions about its origins. Sai Baba is certainly an unsavory character,

as far as I'm concerned, but that doesn't necessarily mean that duplications of

the scent of his incense shouldn't be enjoyed...

-- Gillian

Re:nag champa

At 12:19 AM 5/6/02 +0000, you wrote:

>Yesterday I bought some Nag Champa incense from a local store that has

>nothing to do with toiletries. I loved this scent even more than the

>fragrance oil.

Nag Champa is (as I understand it) sort of a 'descriptive name " rather

like " Rain " ...a lot of companies sell Rain fo's...all slightly different...

if you have a list of the components, you might just try blending your own

until you achieve a blend that you love..

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/10/2002 11:49:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time, nan@...

writes:

> but sure don't want to feed any money to the cult!

>

why is it considered a cult? The pope has many followers that perform

rituals and incense burning.......are the catholics also a cult? Just

wondering.

Donna

[Guest guest]

Have been following this thread with interest -- sincerely appreciate the

detailed update about this fragrance I'm now dying to try..., but sure don't

want to feed any money to the cult!

thanks bunches!

~nan

in kansas

Re: Nag Champa, its Cult origins ...

I have been reading the posts about Nag Champa and I think a little

clarification is in order regarding the origins of this fragrance... >>>>>>