D.S. & Durga returns Rama, a candle steeped in spice
The special release merges tree flowers and teak with radiant sandalwood and copper, inspired by the sensory richness of India and the festival that welcomes Lord Rama home.
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The amber glass vessel glows from within, its cream label printed with a delicate line drawing of a lotus flower and bow. D.S. & Durga’s Rama candle, a special release, carries the scent that founder Kavi Ahuja Moltz calls her own: radiant sandalwood and copper threaded through with tree flowers and teak, a fragrance built on the sensory abundance of India.
The naming holds its own poetry. Rama is the nickname David gave to Kavi, and it is also the protagonist of one of Hindu mythology’s most beloved stories: the god who returns from exile to be welcomed home by his people, celebrated during the festival of Diwali with lamps lit and candles burned, spices and incense rising through the air. Kavi’s note on the collection speaks to this layering of meaning and memory. Diwali, she writes, has always been significant for her community both in India and abroad. Festive candles, fancy foods, playing cards, pujas and family time mark the holiday. It is a season full of joy and prosperity, and the sensory world of India during this time, drenched in spices, flowers, candles, incense, smoke, has long shaped her favourite fragrances, those built by Indian heritage.
The candle joins the brand’s Radio Bombay Pocket Perfume in a 10ml spray, another expression of the same olfactory language, allowing the scent to travel with you across a room or a season.
Imagery courtesy of D.S. & Durga (@dsanddurga).
