A fragrant heaven on an incense stick

Such was 12-year-old Ramchandraji Dhoot’s love for perfumes and incense that when he was in his early 30s, he decided to embark on a business venture that would find him immersed in the world of fragrances. Thus was born the renowned agarbatti shop RR Dhoot and Sons in Budhwar Peth in 1951.

 When he first launched his shop, he only dealt in agarbattis and gulkand, a by-product of the extraction of rosewater from roses. He would travel all the way to Bangalore and Mysore to buy these agarbattis for the shop. Around 90% of the agarbattis that Ramchandraji initially housed were masala agarbattis, which were made from pure sandalwood and other herbs.

Initially, he faced innumerable difficulties as he had to multitask, taking care of accounting, sourcing of the material and sales at the shop himself. Transport and logistics were also a problem, and delivering goods outside Pune to cities like Ahmednagar and Satara was a challenge.

With time, Ramchandraji’s business grew and with it, his range of agarbattis in the shop grew as well. Having a keen interest in the making of the product that he sold, Ramchandraji studied the manufacturing process of agarbattis and started his own agarbatti unit in 1965.

The Shamsundar agarbatti brand was born of this endeavour. His wife Jasodhabai was his pillar of strength, handling the workings at the factory while he looked after the shop. In the years that followed, Ramchandraji’s son Dilip would pitch in and help in the shop as well.

In 1984, Dilip joined him in the business full-time. Dilip, who had secured a seat for a medical degree, dropped out of the course soon after he saw that his father was inconvenienced in the shop due to the lack of a pair of hands. He then did his B Com and ICWA Inter, all the while helping his father take care of the business before devoting himself to it full-time.

Dilip brought about a major change by reducing the number of cheaply priced agarbattis and primarily housing premium quality ones. “In 1984, we only made simple agarbattis, as there were no formulas for complex agarbattis then,” he recalls.

The Dhoots make some 50 brands of agarbattis and the agarbattis prepared by them are unlike the ones available in the market. They burn up to two hours and their essence stays long after the agarbatti has completely burnt. 

Their innovations are also worthy of taking note. Says Dilip, “We were the first to introduce an agarbatti that comprised all the material that was used in havans. Lighting one is akin to performing a havan in the house.”

Then there is the Sarvashanti agarbatti made of all the herbs required for the Navagraha shanti pooja. Other agarbattis include the Karyasiddhi, Musk Ambar, Padmanabha, Kasturi Chandan and Shantiketan among others. They range from Rs300 to Rs1,500 a kg.

Dhoops are also a speciality here, besides an expanded product range that includes all kinds of pooja samagri, brass idols, attars and rudraksh necklaces.

The customer base has been ever-increasing and includes generations of families, along with foreigners, especially those who come to study yoga in the city.

Taking immense pride in his work, Dilip says, “Agarbattis purify the atmosphere in the house and are also mood enhancers. As an agarbatti seller, this makes me very proud. My two sons, who are chartered accountants, also assist me in my business. I will strive to continue spreading beautiful fragrances throughout homes.”