The Perfume Capital Of India - Kannauj

By Author: Saurav Bhandari
Total Articles: 1
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Introduction

India has been a country rich in culture and traditions for thousands of Years. The More You dig into its glorious past, the more you will be amazed by its Eternal culture and traditions.

Kannauj, which is popularly known as The Perfume Capital of India, is no Different. This Small city, located in the State of Uttar Pradesh, is considered one of the Most Ancient Places of India and has a rich archaeological and cultural heritage. The origins of this city can be traced back as far as the Bronze Age.

Kannauj city is Famous Worldwide for its Attar or Ittar (Perfumes). It is so Popular for Perfumes, that it is also Known as Ittar ki Nagari (City of Perfumes). When you visit this city for the first time and walk through the streets of the town, you will find a pleasant fragrance constantly lingers in the air and the aroma of Ittar is all over the place. Even in the Drains. Yes, I am not joking.

A Brief History Of Attars

The Primary Profession of Many People of kannauj has been the Perfume-Making, but there is a web of history and mythology around ...
... this profession.

It is believed that Kannauj has been distilling flowers to make perfume for more than 400 years, since the time of the Mughal emperor Jahangir.

According to the Local people of kannauj, the business of Attar making in the City started with Mughal Empress Nur jahan, wife to Emperor Jahangir, in the early 17th Century.

The Empress Nur Jahan used to bathe in a pool full of rose petals. One day she noticed that the flowers would leave oil behind in the water. Observing this thing, she concluded that the fragrant oil could be extracted from Flowers.

Nur jahan was very much fond of fragrances, so Jahangir encouraged research on the extraction and development of Fragrances & Perfumes. The legends say that some men, who happened to be from kannauj, managed to extract the fragrant oil from the flower for his wife, Nur Jahan.

Traditional Kannauj Distelleries

At one Point of Time, Kannauj had over 800 fully functioning perfume distilleries in the region and almost everyone in the city was engaged in attar making in one way or another. Over the period of time, the number of perfume Distilleries in the region has gone done significantly. At present, there are around 300 small, medium and large Perfume Distilleries in the city.

What makes Kannauj Attars So Special ?

Attars are the purest forms of perfumery. These Perfumes do not contain any kind of Alcohol and Chemicals in it. This is what makes them so special, But this is not the only reason behind its Worldwide popularity.

The Knowledge and skills of Attar (Ittar) manufacturing are passed from generation to generation in Kannauj. There are even some variety of Ittars for which the manufacturing formulas are still kept secret from the general people.

Attars are manufactured from flowers, Natural resources and other aromatic substances.

The best thing about kannauj attar is that it is still manufactured in the same way as it used to be 400 years ago. The Traditional Method of Making Attars Using Hydrodistillation (Deg & Bhapka Method) is still in use despite the fact, there are newer and faster methods available in the market. The traditional Method is Time-Consuming and requires a great amount of skill, dedication and patience.

Perfume manufacturers in kannauj firmly believe that this traditional Attar Making Process gives them unmatched fragrance.

At last, we can only say Attar Manufacturing in kannauj is truly a fascinating thing that have survived the wrath of time and still find their relevance in the perfume world today.

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