India is a land blessed with diverse flora and fauna. The abundance of flowers and plant life has made it possible for Indians to create many products that bring peace to our minds and transform our surroundings. Since ancient times, fragrances have been associated with places, people, and memory. Let's take a look at the history of perfumes and the perfume capital of India.
If you've noticed, the fragrance of a particular place or even worn by a person often leaves a lingering effect. You'd be surprised to know that the concept of extracting aromas from flowers and plants is over two thousand years old! Even today, Indian households appropriate great importance on scents.
No pooja or auspicious occasion would be complete without lighting frankincense. Extracts from jasmine, sandalwood rose, and other sweet-smelling plants, the aromatics were often considered symbols of luxury. While the present-day perfumes have complex chemical blends, and many perfume houses have come up, the history of perfumes in India is subtle yet old.
Perfumes have always been considered symbols of wealth. Some of these scents are associated with gods. This is why you'll notice the use of camphor, rose, jasmine, and sandalwood in Indian rituals. These aromatics create a positive atmosphere and are said to invoke the blessings of deities.
In ancient India, expensive goods were transported along the silk route. Agarwood has a long-lasting scent and is such a luxurious item that it is fit to be gifted to a king. Like Agarwood, sandalwood, and Musk were traded from India and carried around the silk route.
Unlike the modern perfumes, Attar had been popular in India till they were no longer considered in vogue from the 20th century onwards.
Typically, Attar has the making and memories of the old world. Rather than using alcohol as a solvent, it uses sandalwood oil, thus making it long-lasting. The use of Attar became increasingly popular during the 16th century under the reign of the Mughals. Attars have many notes ranging from floral, fruity, musky, woodsy, and even grass. The charm of attars lies in how they're designed for each season. Floral fragrances such as jasmine and marigold are more prominent during the summer season, while smells like cardamom and saffron are more favoured in winters.
The ancient city of Kannauj in India also happens to be the perfume capital of the country. The beauty of Kannauj lies in its essence of the past that still lingers in the present. The narrow lanes of the main market of Kannauj- The Bara Bazaar, are equipped with shops that provide all items necessary for producing Attar. Here, one can see old men keeping age-old customs alive as they expertly sniff out vials and dab the fragrant oil to the pulse points. It has an almost medieval charm to it.
Every day, fresh rose petals are brought to the workshops of attar makers who distil them in large copper pots, and it takes about five to six hours to make the liquid gold (a kilo of ittr is sold for no less than $3000)
The fascinating thing about the production of this fragrant delight is its rustic equipment that cannot be in any lab. The result produced in this environment remains unparalleled. However, the tragedy lies in the fact that Attar is now considered outdated, due to which Indians have switched to western perfumes that are much more modern.
Nonetheless, as Western tastes shift towards the East, there's a resurge in the demand for Attar. There's hope for the traditional perfumers at Kannauj who have kept alive the art of making perfumes through all this time.
By Devanshee Sharma, Storyteller at ThisDay by Ekank Technologies.
