Revival of oldest winter scent

Krishanraj Iyengar

The hegemony of upmarket French perfumes persists, but there is a pan-India revival of traditional natural, chemical-free Indian scents. Among these is the world’s oldest-known winter scent, shamama.

While the French perfume industry spends millions on marketing its high-end ‘winter’ and ‘summer’ lines, India pioneered seasonal scents millennia ago. Cooling extract oils of kewda and khus provide calm in the scorching summer months, whereas shamama, a blend of several Indian spices and Mysore sandalwood oil, warms the wearer during winter.

Shamama was a favourite of India’s erstwhile royalty. “Many nawabs were too feeble to cover themselves with a weighty razaai (quilt) during freezing winters. They would hence have shamama smeared between the cotton layers of a lighter quilt to acquire the warmth of a heavy one!” smiles Mukul Gundhi, a seventh generation perfumer of Old Delhi’s 1816 Gulabsingh Johrimal perfumery that once catered to the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, and Mirza Ghalib. The latter would smear shamama on his flowing beard during winter while penning poetry!

The same shamama is today back with a bang as young Indians, saturated with clichéd branded perfumes, lap it up, Gundhi shares. “There are two parallel winter scents, hina and mushk-e-amber, which are also witnessing a revival. They are similar to shamama except for minor nuances. Our mushk-e-amber, for example, contains the same ingredients which are permutated to enhance the accords of musk and amber, both highly warming aromas,” he adds.

Kannauj, India’s ancient fragrance capital, still manufactures shamama using the authentic deg-bhapka distillation method. “Shamama, a viscous, earthy oil, is an amalgamation of rare herbs and spices with sandalwood. The zameen (base) is prepared in a large container called deg and then stirred along with sandalwood oil and often other natural ingredients like rose oil or saffron in a special pateela (container). The process takes around 15 days,” explains distiller Moosa Khan of Kannauj. “Indians, who are keen on experimentation, are cultivating a taste for shamama’s peculiar scent that their forefathers were partial to,” he says.

Having spread its scent beyond India’s boundaries, it is also a key ingredient in Arabian perfumery. No traditional khaltah (Arabian fragrance blend) is complete without the Indian shamama, or shamamatul amber in Arabic. According to Dubai-based perfumer Abdulla Ajmal, CEO of Ajmal Perfumes, there has been a resurgence of shamama, especially in India, its birthplace.

Oudh, another natural scent synonymous with Assam, too, he says, is becoming popular. “Oudh and shamama, being robust and full-bodied, are essentially natural wintery scents. Shamama, which was once used solo as a perfume, gradually became a key ingredient in traditional Khaleeji (Gulf Arabian) perfumery for its sublime richness. Internationally, too, we work with large perfumery groups that are inspired by its notes,” says Ajmal.

Among India’s most trending winter fragrances are two of his traditional Arabian blends that embody both shamama and oudh. “Qatratul oudh, a rich blend of deep Indian oudh, creamy saffron and shamama, creates a comforting blanket of warmth during winters. Khaltah Sahriyyah, an exquisite marriage of damask rose, musk and Indian saffron, is enriched by an earthy shamama right at the opening, giving it delicate warmth,” shares Mumbai-based realty professional and fragrance connoisseur Vishesh Talreja, 34.

Shamama, hina and musk-e-amber cost between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,500 for 10 ml, while the average cost of an Arabian khaltah fragrance oil is between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 per tola (12 ml). These alcohol-free fragrance oils are said to have an unlimited shelf life. Today, though shamama is sold nationwide, it is imperative to watch out for its synthetic imitations, which are affordable but not authentic.