Dhoops are another masala subgroup They are an extruded incense, lacking a core bamboo stick Many dhoops have very concentrated scents and put out a lot of smoke when burned The oldest source on dhoop is the Vedas, specifically, the Atharvaveda and the Rigveda Dhoopburning was used both to create pleasing aromas and a medicinal tool Its use in medicine is considered the first phase of Ayurveda, which uses dhoop as an approach to healing Dhoopmaking was thus almost exclusively done by monks The specific knowledge of dhoop as a healing tool was assimilated into the religious practices of the time early Hinduism As Hinduism matured and Buddhism was founded in India, dhoop became an integral part of Buddhism as well Around 200 CE, a group of wandering Buddhist monks introduced dhoop making to China