An intriguing check-in ceremony greets me at the Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, a stunning Himalayan resort nestled in Neyphu Valley, Paro, that helps guests find a balance between body, mind and spirit.
After entering the property’s dramatic golden gates, I’m invited to a small shrine for a puja ceremony. I light a butter lamp, and am then handed an incense stick (called a poe in Bhutanese) to burn and “invite good energy for my stay”. As the incense’s fragrance and smoke suffuse the air, I find the ritual undeniably relaxing, especially after a long, bumpy ride through the mountains.
In my suite I discover more scented wands, which work as room fresheners, relaxants and pest control in the Himalayan kingdom. And effectively too, I light one incense stick each night and find it acts like a balm, easing me into restful slumber.
Intrigued, I ask the resident therapist about the effect of incense, and she explains that it's an effective sleep aid which “helps the brain to increase the production of serotonin, the feel-good hormone that promotes healing and happiness”.
“We also use it in aromatherapy to calm the mind and unlock the energy channels to release internal bliss,” she says.
Little did I know that incense would become a leitmotif throughout my five-day stay in the small landlocked country in the eastern Himalayas.
Highly sought after in homes, shrines and monasteries, these aromatic sticks and powders are used for everything from meditation to devotion, healing, purification and relaxation. Their use as a fumigant is also evident from plumes of smoke rising from huts in the countryside every evening when locals burn them to ward off pests.
At every shrine, monastery or dzong (fortress) I visited in three cities – Thimphu, Paro and Punakha – monks burning incense in specially designed censers and incense stick holders were a ubiquitous sight. Some, with their shaved heads buried deep in their prayer books, had a smoking wand by their side.
“The Buddhist ritual of offering fragrance (gandhapuja) and the ancient Bon smoke offering (sang), has a deep cultural and religious significance for us,” an elderly monk at Punakha Dzong says.
“Incense smoke is invested with blessings of powerful mantras. It is used for cleansing and purification which helps in warding off evil spirits and bringing good luck.“
Intrigued by the fascinating subculture of incense, I booked a tour at Bhutan’s most famous incense-making workshop, Nado Poizokhang.
Set in the heart of Thimphu, it is the oldest and largest of its kind and produces incense sticks and powders that are used in homes and monasteries and also exported to many countries. Even Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck requests incense from the family-run enterprise to burn in the royal palace, I’m informed.
For all its fame, however, the workshop’s facade is nondescript and easy to miss, with only a tiny board announcing its presence. Inside, however, it is a hive of activity, with men and women of various ages working on different stages of incense production at their work stations. Some are smiling and chatting with their colleagues, somewhat leavening the serious atmosphere.
Observing my interest, a supervisor offers to take me around for a tour to explain the production process. He says that although simple to look at, incense making requires a lot of hard work and precision, not to mention a cornucopia of ingredients. These include medicinal herbs, dried spices, botanicals, tree barks, boughs of juniper, jatamansi flowers native to the Himalayas, sandalwood, clove, cardamom, saffron and nutmeg.
“The entire process is based on a secret recipe from the Mindrolling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in India, which is more than 300 years old,” my guide explains as I pick up a wand to inhale its perfume. “Many of these ingredients are foraged and gathered by yak herders from high-altitude forests in the month after the Blessed Rainy Day holiday, Thruebab, which signals monsoon-end. This is when the foliage, nourished by the rain, is most fragrant.”
The production process begins by grinding all the ingredients into a fine powder, they are then mixed with water, sugar and honey. This mix goes into a big vat where it ferments for a week. At this stage, tshe (bark beetle) is added as an adhesive after which the contents are mixed vigorously before being put through the presser to make incense sticks.
The final stage involves the sticks being straightened, cut into various sizes, and dried in the shade for four to five days.
“Everything is done by hand and all the ingredients we use are organic and pure. The incense is hand rolled and sun dried, using traditional methods that go back generations. Each ingredient has unique properties and there’s a reason behind its inclusion in the recipe,” the supervisor adds.
For example, juniper, a fragrant tree that grows in Bhutan’s alpine forests, has a sweet and woody aroma and is believed to have medicinal properties. Similarly, agarwood, also known as oud, is a dark resinous wood that is highly prized for its herbal qualities. “The incense’s pure ingredients also help heighten awareness during meditation. They help take one closer to God,” they add, as the tour comes to an end.
With these words echoing in my mind, I pick up a few packets of Nado Poizokhang’s magical wands to take with me. Back home, every time I unroll my yoga mat to to meditate, I light up one scented stick for the session. They help me relax and focus on all things spiritual, transporting me to Bhutan’s beatific landscapes.
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Dunbar
Edward St Aubyn
Hogarth
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
info-box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
The%20specs
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
