It's a preparation for conclusion or start of a ritual like meditation and without burning some incense, it somehow does not feel complete for me.

My ritual of prayer is very simple, I clean my lamp, I light it and I pray/meditate. The conclusion of it all is when I burn incense. It's a silent marker that I have completed my day in the evening.

But most Indian incense sticks are very unrefined and loaded with chemicals. I have been searching for quite a while for some natural forms of incense but unable to find any yet.

In the search for natural incense sticks, I was led to buying this particular brand.

Mysore Sandal is a well understood brand in our country.

This box contains 20 sticks. 

They look like regular incense sticks and they are.

Before burning them they have a faint smell of rose but upon burning, it 

gives out a chemical odour mixed with rose. It does affect my nose and allergies so I will not

be able to use this for I am quite sensitive to this type of smell.

It is not terribly strong like most other brands but I am still not able to tolerate it. So I burn and leave it in my garden outdoors.

MRP Rs.16

I am still on to my search. For in a country like ours, how can we not have organic incense sticks. I have heard a whole lot about Shoyeido brand in Japan and hope they start sales out here. Atleast, I could try them out.

Shoud I resort to burning leaves instead? What do you do for natural incense? I would love to read your comments on this.