Nag Champa
Encyclopedia
Nag Champa is an India
n fragrance, commonly found in incense
, soap
, perfume oil
, essential oils, candle
s and personal toileteries originating there. It is commonly used in ashram
s.
, known in the West as Frangipani, have Champa in their name. Champa incenses contain a semi-liquid resin, "halmaddi," taken from the Ailanthus Malabarica tree, which gives them their characteristic grey color and damp texture: halmaddi is hygroscopic
. The resin also contains a psychoactive beta-carboline
. Nag Champa contains a large proportion of sandalwood
. Nag Champa remains perhaps the world's most popular incense, historically with the ashram of the late Satya Sai Baba. Nag Champa has a strong individual smell that cannot be found in any other incense fragrances, generally starting with a potent smell that changes to a cool sweet smell as time passes.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n fragrance, commonly found in incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
, soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
, perfume oil
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
, essential oils, candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s and personal toileteries originating there. It is commonly used in ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
s.
Composition and properties
Indian incenses containing PlumeriaPlumeria
Plumeria is a genus of flowering plants of the family that includes Dogbane: the Apocynaceae. It contains 7-8 species of mainly deciduous shrubs and small trees...
, known in the West as Frangipani, have Champa in their name. Champa incenses contain a semi-liquid resin, "halmaddi," taken from the Ailanthus Malabarica tree, which gives them their characteristic grey color and damp texture: halmaddi is hygroscopic
Hygroscopy
Hygroscopy is the ability of a substance to attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment. This is achieved through either absorption or adsorption with the absorbing or adsorbing material becoming physically 'changed,' somewhat, by an increase in volume, stickiness, or other...
. The resin also contains a psychoactive beta-carboline
Beta-carboline
β-Carboline is an organic amine that is the prototype of a class of compounds known as β-carbolines.-Pharmacology:...
. Nag Champa contains a large proportion of sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
. Nag Champa remains perhaps the world's most popular incense, historically with the ashram of the late Satya Sai Baba. Nag Champa has a strong individual smell that cannot be found in any other incense fragrances, generally starting with a potent smell that changes to a cool sweet smell as time passes.
Public use and availability
Dance clubs have been known to burn Nag Champa for its pleasant effects and masking of odors such as sweat and marijuana. The incense has also been ground into a fine powder and used in various applications where burning would not be appropriate or possible. Shrinivas Sugandhalaya is the world's largest manufacturer of Nag Champa incense under the Satya brand.Trivia
- Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
has burned Nag Champa at his concerts, and as such it is popular among Bob Dylan enthusiasts. - The Grateful Dead and more recently Akron/FamilyAkron/FamilyAkron/Family is a folk-influenced experimental rock band that formed in 2002, and its members currently live in Portland, Oregon , Tucson, Arizona and New York City, New York.-Music and history:...
, The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, and Third Eye BlindThird Eye BlindThird Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
have been found to burn Nag Champa at performances. - Stevie NicksStevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
refers to Nag Champa in her song "Illume 9/11", on the Fleetwood MacFleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
album Say You WillSay You WillSay You Will is the 17th album by British/American band Fleetwood Mac, released in 2003. It was the first Fleetwood Mac album in 34 years not to include tracks written by vocalist/keyboardist Christine McVie, who had left the group in 1998. McVie is featured on two songs, which had been originally...
. - Rapper Common has a song entitled "Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World)" on his album Like Water for ChocolateLike Water for Chocolate (album)Like Water for Chocolate is the fourth studio album by American hip hop rapper Common, released March 28, 2000 on MCA Records. It was a considerable critical and commercial breakthrough for Common, receiving generally favorable reviews from major magazine publications and selling 70,000 copies in...
. - Asher RothAsher RothAsher Paul Roth is an American rapper.-Early life:Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth , is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm...
also mentions Nag Champa on the song "Change Gon Come" with Charles HamiltonCharles Hamilton (rapper)Charles Eddie-Lee Hamilton, Jr. is an American musician, rapper and record producer, born in Cleveland, Ohio.Mainstream popularity came from being featured on the cover of the Freshmen 09' XXL, along with Asher Roth, B.o.B and Wale...
and B.o.B.B.O.B.B.O.B. is a video game that was released in 1993. It is a side-scrolling game developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Foley Hi-Tech Systems, and published by Electronic Arts. It is both a 2D shooter and a platform game, and is available for both the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega...
from B.o.B.'s mixtapeMixtapeA Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
The Unclearables.