Our Legacy
Our Legacy: From Devotional Incense to Global Oriental Perfumery
For more than nine decades, our family has dedicated its life to one calling – crafting incense and perfumes
that carry devotion, culture, and emotion in every breath. This is not just our business. This is our
inheritance, our identity, and the fragrance-filled bridge between the past and the future.
Rooted in 1932 – The Beginning of a Fragrant Legacy
A royal-era story from Nizam era before independence here devotion met craftsmanship and a family’s destiny was shaped by incense smoke.
Our journey began in 1932, in the princely surroundings of Mysore, when
Mysore Islamic Agarbatti Works was founded by our respected maternal great-grandfather.
At a time when incense was handcrafted in small batches for royal courts, Sufi shrines, and temple rituals,
he emerged as one of the earliest artisans of devotional incense in South India.
His vision was simple yet powerful: to create incense that felt like a prayer in smoke – gentle, pure,
long-lasting, and deeply spiritual. Each stick was mixed, rolled, and dried by hand, using botanical
powders, resins, oils, and woods that were carefully sourced and respectfully handled.
As word spread, devotees, traders, and families began to seek out his fragrances not only for daily
worship but also for life’s important moments – the first azaan of a newborn, wedding rituals, Ramadan
nights, and spiritual gatherings. Incense from Mysore Islamic Agarbatti Works became a quiet but constant
presence in thousands of homes.
After India’s independence, our family enterprise evolved with the times and grew into
Mysore-i Agarbatti Works, known lovingly across markets as
Masthana Darbar Agarbatti. Under this name, our incense became a symbol of devotion,
purity, and tradition – especially among those who understood that fragrance has a way of touching the
heart before words ever can.
and soulful aroma.
Four Generations of Fragrance Keepers
Every generation added its own note to our composition – devotion from the first, courage from the second,
entrepreneurship from the third, and global vision from the fourth.
Our legacy has never been about one person. It is a relay of trust and responsibility, passed from hand
to hand, heart to heart. Each generation inherited the same question: How can we serve people through
fragrance better than before?
The first generation laid the foundation with devotional incense in Mysore. The second strengthened
partnerships, reputation, and the Masthana Darbar name. The third expanded into new product lines and
markets. Today, the fourth generation carries the heritage proudly into an era of global branding,
premium packaging, export networks, and modern perfumery education – without sacrificing a grain of
authenticity.
From dusty godowns stacked with hand-packed boxes to international shipments and boutique counters,
our journey has always been guided by the same core principle: fragrance must be honest.
Honest in its ingredients, honest in its intention, and honest in the experience it leaves behind.
with our incense burning in their homes, mosques, temples, and workplaces – and who now introduce the same
fragrance to their children and grandchildren.
The Craft: Where Tradition Meets Perfumery Science
Hand-rolled incense, artisan attars, and Arabian-inspired perfumery shaped by training in Grasse and Kannauj.
While our roots lie in traditional incense making, our present and future are guided by deep perfumery
knowledge. To refine the legacy, Mohammed Abdul Nabi Tabrez pursued professional training at the
Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP) in France and in Kannauj, the
legendary “Perfume Capital of India”. There, he studied perfumery structure, olfactory families, accords,
distillation science, attar extraction, and the delicate art of balancing tradition with technical precision.
This foundation allows us to design fragrances that feel timeless yet modern – whether it is a masala
agarbatti for a home altar, a bakhoor for a majlis, or a concentrated perfume oil for personal use. Every
fragrance is considered from three angles: its emotional impact, its technical performance, and its cultural
relevance.
herbs, and pure essential oils from trusted suppliers who understand our quality standards.
family secrets, refined over decades of testing burn time, smoke behavior, and diffusion.
and laid out to dry – a slow process that ensures consistency and character.
woods, and resins to harmonize, resulting in smoother, more rounded fragrance profiles.
but for emotional impact. If a fragrance does not “feel right”, it does not leave our premises.
jar, and bottle communicates the story, soul, and seriousness of what is inside.
Fragrance as Devotion
In our tradition, incense is not decoration – it is devotion. It prepares the heart before it prepares the room.
From the beginning, our incense was created for prayers, gatherings, and sacred spaces. For us, every
masala stick and every piece of bakhoor carries a silent dua. We understand that our products will often
be used at life’s most intimate and powerful moments – before a nikah, during Ramadan nights, at a
milad, during zikr, or while families sit together after Maghrib.
This spiritual responsibility shapes how we work. We avoid harsh synthetic overloads and unnecessary
shortcuts. Instead, we lean on botanicals, woods, and traditional methods that generate gentle but
meaningful fragrance. When someone lights a stick of our incense, we want them to feel a subtle shift –
a sense of calm, focus, and reverence.
Home Prayer Rooms
Ramadan & Eid Gatherings
Mehfil-e-Zikr & Milad
Meditation & Reflection
What Sets Our Incense Apart
Natural ingredients, dense aroma, and a comforting smoke that feels like a blessing.
- Nagarmotha, Agar Oudh & Agarwood
- Nakhala, Burma-Kachi / Burmaki
- Salaar, Pacholi (Patchouli)
- Honey, Al-Maddi, Rozen
- Natural resins & gums
- Herbal powders and barks
- Pure essential oils and attars
- Imported Oudh, Ambers & Sandal elements
These components are blended not just for scent strength but for emotional depth. The
result is incense that offers:
- Long-lasting aroma that lingers gently on clothes and spaces.
- Rich, natural smoke that feels warm rather than overwhelming.
- A spiritual, meditative feeling especially appreciated by fragrance connoisseurs.
- Consistency that families can rely on for daily use and special occasions.
Houses & Brands That Carry Our Name
From Mysore-era incense to modern Middle-Eastern inspired fragrances, our brands together form one family.
Over time, our legacy has expanded into specialized houses and brands – each with its own character, yet
all rooted in the same values of authenticity, craft, and devotion:
- Safeena Perfumes – dedicated to attars, concentrated perfume oils, and curated blends.
- Aramis Agarbatti & Perfumery Works – merging traditional incense with modern perfumery flair.
- HANI Perfumes – our contemporary face of Middle-Eastern and oriental fragrances.
- Eskay Sugandh Bhandar (Eskay Perfumer) – the historic link between incense and aromatic oils.
- Hyderabad – our stronghold and home for Darbar incense.
- Secunderabad & Begum Bazar – trading hubs and historic fragrance markets.
- Bangalore – expanding our incense and perfumery presence in South India.
- International – UAE (Dubai), Indonesia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Creators of Darbar Incense in Hyderabad
Among our proudest achievements is our long association with Darbar incense. For many
families and religious gatherings, the term “Darbar batti” is inseparable from our fragrances. These
incense products are more than just scented sticks – they are carriers of respect, remembrance, and
spiritual warmth.
With time, we evolved this heritage into the premium line HANI SUGHAND DURBAR:
- Enhanced formulations designed for deeper diffusion and richer smoke.
- Modern premium packaging suitable for gifting and international shelves.
- Global fragrance appeal while staying rooted in the original Darbar legacy.
Bakhoor Hani
Bakhoor Hamza
Oud Hani
Hani Loban & Hamza Loban
Hani Gold & Special Masala
From Local Darbars to Global Homes
A heritage born in Mysore and nurtured in Hyderabad, now traveling with pride to the world.
Our growth into global markets was never a sudden leap – it was a gradual recognition that the world was
ready for authentic Indian incense and oriental perfumery presented with international quality. Distributors
and retailers from abroad first approached us because of personal experiences – a visit to Hyderabad, a
gift from a relative, or a fragrance encountered at a spiritual gathering.
Today, our creations travel to destinations such as Indonesia, South Africa,
and the UAE (Dubai and surrounding regions), with a growing presence in other Middle-Eastern
markets including Saudi Arabia. Every export partnership is built on three promises:
- Uncompromised quality and consistency from batch to batch.
- Packaging that respects cultural subtleties and market preferences.
- Supportive, relationship-driven collaboration – because for us, distributors are family partners.
Premium bakhoor & oud blends
Custom Middle-Eastern perfume oils
Private label projects (select)
fragrance, and feel a sense of peace – even if they have never heard our name.
Voices That Carry Our Legacy Forward
We measure success not only in volumes sold, but in memories created.
For three generations, our family has been using their Darbar incense for our Friday gatherings. When my
children smell it, they say it “smells like home”. That is what legacy means to us.
As a retailer, I have seen many brands come and go. Their products are different – once customers try
them, they return asking for the same names: Bakhoor Hani, Hani Loban, Oud Hani. The loyalty is real.
Our boutique in Dubai needed authentic yet classy bakhoor for discerning clients. Their blends strike
that balance between tradition and luxury, which is why we continue to expand the range.
The Next 100 Years of Our Legacy
Honoring the past. Innovating for the present. Preparing a fragrant inheritance for the future.
As we look ahead to the next century, our commitment remains anchored in the same pillars that shaped us in
1932: faith, craftsmanship, and responsibility. We see our future not as rapid expansion
at any cost, but as thoughtful growth that keeps our products honest and our relationships meaningful.
We are constantly exploring new formulations – smoke-controlled incense, clean-burn blends, modern
attar-inspired perfumes, and signature Middle-Eastern lines – while continuing to hand-craft classics
that built our name. Our design direction continues to evolve, embracing contemporary aesthetics without
letting go of traditional motifs and languages that resonate with our heritage.
- To protect and refine our Masthana Darbar and Hani Sughand Durbar heritage.
- To maintain family-supervised quality checks over every core product line.
- To train the next generation in both traditional craftsmanship and modern perfumery science.
- To remain transparent and ethical with our partners, employees, and customers.
- Expanding exports to new regions that value authentic incense and oriental fragrances.
- Creating more limited-edition and signature collections for collectors and connoisseurs.
- Documenting our history through archives, stories, and visual content for future generations.
- Collaborating selectively on private label and co-branded fragrance projects that align with our values.
Most importantly, we want our legacy to remain relatable. Whether someone buys a single box of incense for
their daily prayer, or a full range of bakhoor and oud oils for a luxury boutique, we want them to feel the
same sincerity that began with our great-grandfather in Mysore.
someone’s skin, and in every prayer whispered over a gentle curl of fragrant smoke.