setting up a Temple: alternatives to yak butter?

[Rauðolfr]

I haven't posted for a while as i was living in china and the internet blockages made it difficult.
Whilst in the area i traveled to Tibet and had the opportunity to visit several temples there including potala palace.

Now i am back home, i have been given the opportunity to create my own temple in an absolutely perfect space. But i can't get out of my head the atmosphere the Tibetan Buddhists created in their temples in Tibet. every surface was covered in symbolic murals, and juniper was burnt, but the single most atmospheric thing they did was Yak Butter candles.

Yak butter candles burn with an incredible golden glow, and release a very distinctive smell that makes the air feel like its full of power.


photograph's fail to capture the feeling of the thing.

I so want my own temple to capture this, but as you can imagine, yak butter is impossible to come by in London.

can anyone think of some good alternatives?

[Ramscha]

I could suggest sandal-wood but this can be rather expensive. [stare]
An alternative would also be olibanum, which is cheaper.

Both have an extensive smell and are often used in occult operations.

Ramscha

[Nahemah]

http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Tibetan-Y ... 14-8795858

Found this on Amazon,but I can't find any on the UK site.

You could make one like this from ordinary butter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge1O9rH__5Y

http://kitchenpantryscientist.com/?p=4316

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to- ... er-Candle/

[look at the comments on the third one,the idea gets improved upon...]

Or get a bit more creative with them and use other butters and add scent with oils,as Ramscha said.

I see a lot of shea butter candles for sale,for instance. [thumbup]

[TheSeeker]

Why don't you try getting in touch with some Tibetan Buddhists in London.
Ya can't swing a dead cat without hitting one in my neighbourhood here in Toronto.
They must have 'em in London. [eek] [greensmile]

[Rauðolfr]

I found a solution! not quite as good as yak butter, but Ghee seems to be working quite well, and when i make it i can add some oils for scent.
normal butter (in the UK anyways) wont burn as the water content is too high. but clarified butter works well.
and apparently its already a tradition in some circles: http://krishnaparis.com/ang/page.php?10
so kind of a i guess its a mixture of what you all said.