Leaving Assam
Sep 24th, 2009 by Abdul Ghani
At lunch today, Sayyad told me to seek the finest Oud wood while in Burma – Kyara. He said this is the rarest and most costly Oud that exists in the world. I am not sure if I will be able to find it but I am praying that by the barakah of Sheikh Ibrahim’s instructions, I will. The value of Kyara is more than that of gold. It’s so expensive people can’t afford to even distill it – if they even find it at all.
There is another type that I read about that is similar to Kyara. It is called Kannam. This is agarwood that is so heavily resinated with Oud that its shavings furl up into a ball. Apparently, this is only used for burning, and is never distilled into Oud oil. If I find this I should be skeptical that it is pure Kannam.
I bid my farewell to Sayyad this afternoon, giving him a gift from Algeria – a hand woven mat with bright colors and arabesque patterns. He really loved the colors and showed me where he would place it in the entrance to his living room. Sayyad is a man of refinement and class. I was touched by his character and sincerity. He made me promise that I would fly back through Assam when I return from my journey. I pray that by the time I see him next I will have made many Oud discoveries to tell him about.