Cavadi

Cavadi is an incense label made in Sri Lanka by Danisht Perfumery Works, according to the pack. Its premium agarbathi come in several scents, and the pineapple fragrance is warmer and fruitier than the usual sandalwood or jasmine.

On our shelves Cavadi sits in pooja essentials, within our personal care and household department. The box is slim and holds enough sticks for about two weeks of morning and evening prayers.

Light the tip of a stick, let it catch, then wave the flame out so the tip glows and the smoke rises. Stand it in a holder before the shrine as the lamp is lit, or burn one in the living room when guests are coming. A fruity scent suits a festival morning, a Thai Pongal or Sinhala and Tamil New Year table, or simply a room that still smells of last night's frying. Families who like to change the fragrance through the week keep one fruit or floral box beside a sandalwood one.

Always stand the stick in a holder on a fireproof surface, away from curtains and flowers, and collect the ash on a tray. Keep the box closed and dry so the sticks do not lose their scent. For camphor, lamp wicks and dhoop powder, see the rest of pooja essentials, and for scented candles and room sprays, browse candles and air fresheners.