Myanmar Thanakha Incense Sticks

Myanmar People used to apply incense at the traditional religious affairs. To have a strange and outstanding smell of incense, you can make it with Thanakha- the bark of a tree give good smell, soft skin and protect from sunburn. So, Thanakha is familiar with Myanmar women. It is used for one of the natural cosmetics and all the people like its smell. The Thanakha with scented bark are perennial trees and mostly occur in dry zone of Myanmar. To make the Thanakha incense stick, you first have to mix the paste of the Thanakha stem, paste of the wood apple tree and that of the tamarind tree and which has been ground together and the water are moved through a sieve.

After the water is thus removed, you get pure paste that is applied on a thin bamboo stick. For this all kinds of bamboo are used stripped and cut in lengths of 10.5 inches or 11 inches. These strips are rolled with the pure paste. Then, it is dried in the sun and coated with various kinds of scented liquid and finally you get required Thanakha incense. Yaesakyo Township, Pakkokku district, in upper Myanmar is where you find most of the Thanakha incense stick industry.

Production of Thanakha incense, using Thanakha trees, wood apple trees and tamarind trees threaten deforestation and they are replanted. When these plants are about seven years, they can be cut for the production of incense.

It is not only one of our handicrafts and cash earners but also used for our religious affairs. Moreover, it brings you income as well as merit.