Fragrance and flame are among the most immediate parts of any puja — the curl of incense smoke, the flicker of the aarti lamp, the offering of ghee. This section of Avyani's Master Samagri Catalogue gathers ten items across incense, camphor, oils and ghee that carry a ritual's light and scent.
Light and fragrance are constants of worship — the flame that burns and the scent that fills the air. Avyani's Master Samagri Catalogue records five incense and camphor items and five oils and ghee, ten in total, four of them mandatory.
Fragrance and Smoke
Incense Sticks (Agarbatti) (अगरबत्ती), mandatory, and Dhoop Sticks/Cones (धूप), optional, fill the space with fragrant smoke in nearly every puja described throughout our Daily Worship guide.
The Aarti Flame
Camphor (Kapoor) (कपूर), Cotton Wicks (Batti) (रुई की बत्ती) and Matchbox (माचिस), all mandatory, together light the aarti flame offered before the deity in nearly every puja — see our Daily Worship and Abhishekam and Worship Methods guides. Camphor is valued in this role partly for a simple, often-noted quality: it burns away completely, leaving no residue — a quality many take as a fitting symbol of the self surrendering fully before the divine.
Ghee — The Mandatory Offering
Cow Ghee (गाय का घी), mandatory, pure or organic preferred, lights the lamp and forms part of Panchamrit, described in our Liquids and Panchamrit guide.
Lamp Oils
Coconut Oil (नारियल तेल), Mustard Oil (सरसों का तेल), Castor Oil (Arandi) (अरंडी का तेल) and Sesame Oil (Til Oil) (तिल का तेल), all optional, are used to light oil lamps across daily and festival worship described in our Daily Worship guide.
Incense, Camphor, Oils and Ghee at a Glance
| Item | Hindi | English | Mandatory / Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camphor (Kapoor) | कपूर | Camphor | Mandatory |
| Castor Oil (Arandi) | अरंडी का तेल | Castor Oil | Optional |
| Coconut Oil | नारियल तेल | Coconut Oil | Optional |
| Cotton Wicks (Batti) | रुई की बत्ती | Cotton Wicks | Mandatory |
| Cow Ghee | गाय का घी | Cow Ghee | Mandatory |
| Dhoop Sticks/Cones | धूप | Dhoop | Optional |
| Incense Sticks (Agarbatti) | अगरबत्ती | Incense Sticks | Mandatory |
| Matchbox | माचिस | Matchbox | Mandatory |
| Mustard Oil | सरसों का तेल | Mustard Oil | Optional |
| Sesame Oil (Til Oil) | तिल का तेल | Sesame Oil | Optional |