Sunday, November 12, 2000		Article

India’s aromatic heritage
By Amit Deb

THE story of Indian perfumes is as old as civilisation itself. The ancients were known to offer flowers, herbs and resins to invoke the elements. When burned, some plants released stronger aromas, and thus the scented smoke fires became part of ritualistic offerings to the gods.

In time, scented oils were extracted from pressing, pulverising and distilling aromatic vegetal and animal produce. Such processes, which led to development of the art of alchemy, the earliest indications of which are available from the perfume jars and terracotta containers of the Indus Valley civilisation.

Today, the only Indian city that still pursues that ancient art is Kannauj, about 75 km from Kanpur. It is known as the perfume capital of India. Here, every other household is engaged in extracting essential oils for the attar (perfume) industry by a process handed down from generation to generations.

The sixth century emperor, Harshavardhan, is said to have founded this city near the Ganga river. At that time, fragrant sandalwood was plentiful in Kannauj, making it a natural centre for perfume production.

Another ingredient for Indian perfumes is khus, a root found here. Other rare herbs and aromatic plants from the Himalayas are still transported down the river, and exotic spices from the South find their way to the city via the Bay of Bengal.

That the art has survived centuries and of late, the advent of synthetic perfumes, makes Indian attars so special. The word is a transliteration of the Arabic itr, meaning "fragrance", "scent" or ‘essence’. Persian rulers were known to wear attars more than 5000 years ago.

Attar oils are a specific type of fragrance product derived from natural plant extracts. While some varieties are pure oils, which are fragrant enough (such as amber, sandalwood and eucalyptus), others need to be blended with resins or concentrates in a natural base or carrier oil.

The unique aroma of attar is derived from condensing vapours directly into a base oil of sandalwood (since its own fragrance is easily displaced by other scents). Moreover, sandalwood oil does not easily turn rancid and serves as a good preservative.

Over the centuries, attar perfumes have been used for a variety of purposes ranging from aromatherapy and spiritual healing to mood enhancement and as emotional adjusters. Since attars do not contain any alcohol, these have found particular favour with Muslims.

Little wonder, the demand for attar is highest during the Muharram and Eid festivals, Sudani Muslims use a heavy incense called mahalad while Bohras burn bukhur during festivals and Arab Muslims use nakhala, a perfume manufactured from crushed sea shells.

In Bombay, according to the attar dealers of Mohammed Ali Road, the demand for majmua peaks during Eid. During the winter months, the local Muslim community goes in for amber, shamaama and heena while in summer, varieties like jasmine, kewda and gulab (rose) are used.

One of the most expensive attars (also recommended as an aphrodisiac) is ood, made from the bark of a tree variety found in Assam. Agarwood (or aloeswood) is also cultivated extensively for its oil, which has a sweet fragrance.

The fragrances conform to certain fixed categories that the attar trade has come recognise over centuries. The most popular is the floral group, comprising jasmine, rose, lily and gardenia, which is followed by the spicy range from carnation, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg:

Then there is the woody range, characterised by the aromas of vetiver (khuskhus), sandalwood and cedar, while the mossy group is dominated by the aroma of oak moss. Some attars combine woody, mossy and spicy notes with vanilla or balsam.

There is also the leather-tobacco group meant for men, which is identified by the aromas of leather, tobacco and the smokiness of birch tar. Male attars also include aromas of citrus, spice, lavender, fern and wood.

Identification of fragrances is done by professionals, traditionally known as naaks or ‘noses’. A good naak should be able to identify the various raw materials that go into the blending of different attars. His olfactory sense is so great that he can even detect in a mixture of 100 or more ingredients, the proportion of each substance contributing to the magic formula. (MF)