Incense-sticks produced by SEVAI-SHG Women has assured market.

Incense-sticks produced by Bickchandarkoil  SHG women promoted by SEVAI/SGF/OFI

Incense-sticks produced by SHG Women has assured market.SEVAI has promoted the production of Incense sticks, (agarbathi) in Backhander Koil village involving women self help groups promoted by SEVAI/SGF.This project gives regular employment to rural women and they also get around Rs.200 Rupees for a day’s production which is above poverty level indicators. The children of these women are going to school regularly as the women earn decent earning as well as they were fed nutritionally rich food. Parameswari the SHG Social worker of SEVAI/SGF/OFI Project mentioned, “India has a rich tradition of using incenses in many social and religious occasions’. Incense sticks, also known as agarbathi, joss sticks, in which an incense paste is rolled around a bamboo stick, is one of the main forms of incense in India. Other main forms of incense are cones and logs which are incense paste formed log shapes, and then dried, incense remains an important part of the daily puja ritual, which is a religious offering performed by all Hindus to their deities, especially during the beginning of a new venture, or to commemorate some special occasion. The smoke is believed to ward off demons and cleanse the air around. They are fragmented.  Sandle wood is the base material used in production. Dhup an aromatic powder or paste is burnt in Indian homes as a fragrant fumigant and is reputed to possess insecticidal and antiseptic properties. Agarbati also known, as Udubattis similar to joss sticks are a development of Dhup.Agarbattis are obtainable in different colors and with different perfumes. The burning time; of an agarbatti is around 15 minutes.

 Incense-sticks packaging by SHG Women

Essential oils, purified resins, natural fixatives like amber, musk and civet are used along with synthetic aromatics. This is one the items considered for boosting exports. Owing to the low level of technology involved in this industry, this can be taken to rural areas without much difficulty. The estimates for production of Agarbathi are drawn for a production capacity generally considered techno-economically viable for model type of manufacturing activity. The information supplied is based on a standard type of manufacturing activity utilizing conventional techniques of production at optimum levels of performance. The costs in respect of Land & Building, machinery and equipment raw materials and the selling prices of the finished products etc. are those generally obtaining at the time of the preparation of the project profiles and may vary depending upon various factors.  All the ingredients in powder form are mixed well in the proper proportion with water to a semi solid paste. This paste is applied to sticks and rolled on wooden-planks with hands uniformly and dried and packed in suitable bundles and market them at their door steps as the buyers frequent the producers homes periodically and pay them the cost of the Incense sticks. Thus the marketing is assured.”-Govin