Tracing Scent: The Practice of Agarbatti (Incense Sticks)

Tracing Scent: The Practice of Agarbatti (Incense Sticks) with KaalAmba

This hands-on workshop invites participants into the material, cultural, and sensory world of agarbatti (incense sticks). We’ll begin by grounding the practice in its historical and cultural contexts, tracing how incense has been used across domestic, spiritual, and communal spaces. Together, we’ll discuss the labor, time, and resources involved in processing natural materials, and how care, intention, and repetition shape the final form.

Participants will then move into guided making, learning the foundational techniques of hand-rolling incense using natural binders and botanicals. Emphasis is placed on process over perfection, inviting innate sensory awareness as a primary tool for making.

Participants will leave with:

• Up to 10 handcrafted incense sticks or cones, blended and rolled by hand
• A resource sheet outlining key steps, ratios, and recipe examples based on the materials used in class
• A curated list of small-scale, non-Amazon suppliers for continued exploration

Note: Participants will choose their own scent blend; all sticks made during the workshop will be the same blend.

Date: Saturday, April 25th, 2026

Time: 1-4 pm

Duration: 3 hours

Artist: KaalAmba Kanodia

Pricing:

• $140 (10 seats)

• $70: (2 discount seats) for queer/trans folk of the global majority (QTPGM) please contact us at [email protected] for this consideration

Currently, we only accept payments through PayPal. If you would like to use a different payment method, please contact us at [email protected] for assistance.

Location: 209 McAllister Street, Studio A, Baltimore, MD 21202

“Some Kind of Blue” at Studio Blue (concept store upstairs) will also be open for browsing and shopping.

Please Note:

•There are 20 stairs to climb to Studio Blue. We apologize for whatever inconvenience this may cause.

For more information about Blue Light Junction, visit www.bluelightjunction.com

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Host or Publisher Kenya Miles