What is bakhoor?
Bakhoor is a mixture of agarwood chips, natural resins and perfume oils, pressed into small pieces or bricks and burned on a coal or electric burner. It is not a spray or an oil you wear. Bakhoor is a home fragrance, and in Pakistani households it has always been tied to hospitality: lit before guests arrive, carried room to room so the scent reaches every corner, and brought out for Jummah, mehndi and walima evenings, and through Ramadan and Eid. The tradition travelled here from the Gulf, which is why Arabian bakhoor and oud remain the scents most people associate with it. Bukhoor is simply another spelling of the same word, and you will also see it sold as bakhoor perfume or bakhoor fragrance, though it is burned rather than worn.
Bakhoor price in Pakistan
Original bakhoor at Usman Baig is priced by blend:
- Bakhoor Majlis: a warm, welcoming oud blend for guest sittings and everyday use, Rs.2,250.
- Bakhoor Sultan: our deepest, most resinous blend, made for weddings and Eid, Rs.3,330.
You will find bakhoor online in Pakistan for a few hundred rupees, and it is worth understanding the difference. Cheap bakhoor is usually sawdust or soft wood soaked in synthetic fragrance. It burns fast, smells sharp, and the scent disappears with the smoke. Bakhoor made with genuine agarwood burns slowly, deepens as it heats, and leaves fragrance in fabric that you can still catch the next morning. You also use far less of it. A pinch the size of a small pebble is enough for a room, so a single box lasts through many sittings.
How to use bakhoor at home
- Heat the burner. On a traditional charcoal bakhoor burner, light the coal and wait until it turns ashy grey rather than glowing red. On an electric bakhoor burner, switch it on and let the plate warm for a minute.
- Place one small piece of bakhoor on top. Resist adding more, as too much at once turns the smoke heavy.
- Let the smoke rise through the room. Hold clothes, dupattas or curtains over it for a few seconds to carry the scent into the fabric.
- Move the burner from room to room so the whole house is scented.
Keep a window slightly open so the air moves, and never leave a lit burner unattended or within reach of children. If you would rather skip coal and smoke altogether, an electric burner warms the chips gently, leaves no ash to clean, and switches off on its own.
Which is the best bakhoor in Pakistan?
That depends on the room and the occasion, and our two blends are built for different moments. Bakhoor Majlis is the everyday choice, soft enough for a bedroom or lounge and welcoming when guests arrive, without filling the house too heavily. Bakhoor Sultan is stronger and more resinous, the one to bring out when the whole home should smell of oud, for a wedding function, Eid morning or an evening gathering. If you are buying bakhoor for the first time, start with Majlis and keep Sultan for occasions.
Whichever you choose, buy bakhoor on the strength of the wood rather than the size of the box. A smaller quantity of genuine agarwood bakhoor will outlast and outperform a large tub of scented filler. We deliver bakhoor in Pakistan nationwide, including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, in 4 to 5 working days, with a 15-day exchange if a scent is not right for you.
What makes a good bakhoor
Three things separate a good bakhoor from a filler product. The first is the wood. Real agarwood is dense, so it smoulders slowly instead of flaring up. The second is what it is soaked in. Natural resins and perfume oils deepen as they heat, while synthetic fragrance smells strongest in the first minute and then turns flat or slightly chemical. The third is how long the scent survives after burning. Good bakhoor leaves a warm trace on cloth and curtains for a day or more. That lingering is the whole point of burning it.
Bakhoor burners, wood and oud
Bakhoor needs a burner. A traditional charcoal mabkhara gives the classic ritual and the strongest smoke, while an electric bakhoor burner is cleaner and easier for daily use. If you prefer burning pure agarwood on its own rather than a blend, see our bakhoor wood chips. And if you like the scent of oud but want to wear it rather than burn it, the same agarwood character comes as a skin fragrance in our oud attar collection.
Frequently asked questions
How much does bakhoor cost in Pakistan?
At Usman Baig, bakhoor is Rs.2,250 for Bakhoor Majlis and Rs.3,330 for Bakhoor Sultan.
What is bakhoor used for?
It is burned to perfume the home, clothes and gatherings, and is traditional for guests, Jummah, weddings, Ramadan and Eid.
How long does one box last?
Several weeks of regular use, since only a small piece is burned at a time.
Can I use bakhoor without charcoal?
Yes. An electric bakhoor burner heats the chips with no coal, ash or open flame.
Is bakhoor safe to burn indoors?
Yes, in a ventilated room. Use a proper burner, keep it out of reach of children, and do not leave it unattended.
What is the difference between bakhoor and bukhoor?
None. They are two spellings of the same Arabic word for scented wood burned as incense.
