In Frames | Scent of a city

The perfume-makers of Kannauj still follow the traditional method of hydro-distillation, with their secret formula of flowers, herbs and spices

Attar, also known as “itra” or “ittar”, has been in India for thousands of years.

Pure and natural attars are derived from different kinds of flowers (rose, kewra, chameli, bela, marigold, jasmine, lavende and so on), from grasses such as vetiver, and herbs and spices (cardamom, cloves, saffron, juniper berry, jatamansi and the like) by the traditional approach of steam distillation in a copper vessel.

Traditionally, sandalwood oil is used as the base to make quality attars but it can make the product quite costly. This is why foodgrade oils are now used as the base to make attars more affordable.

Kannauj, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, is known as the “perfume city of India”. Most of the attar manufacturers here have been in the business for generations and they keep their specific formula a well-guarded secret.

The steam distillation is carried out in copper vessels, referred to as degh, where the natural ingredients and water are kept. The vessel is covered and sealed with a special clay mix. The degh is connected by a pipe (referred to as chonga) to a copper receiver (bhapka) and a water tank. Wood, coal or cow dung is used as fuel. As the degh is fired, the vapour collected in the bhapka gets condensed and the oil collects the fragrance.

Traditionally, attar is kept in a kuppi made from leather, including camel skin, as it removes moisture naturally. Today, decorated glass bottles are used to store the perfumes. A famous attar from Kannauj is the “shamama”, made from a co-distillation of herbs and spices.