India's Fragrance Economy
Kannauj: India's Perfume Capital
How Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh has made attar using traditional deg-bhapka distillation for centuries, including mitti attar that smells like rain, and its GI tag.
Kannauj is India’s perfume capital.
Attar
Natural perfume oils made by distilling flowers and herbs into sandalwood oil.
Deg-bhapka
The traditional copper stills (deg) and receivers (bhapka) have been used for centuries.
Mitti attar
Mitti attar captures the smell of rain on earth, made by distilling baked clay.
GI tag
Kannauj perfume received a GI tag.
Challenges
- Synthetic perfumes are cheaper.
- Sandalwood oil is scarce and expensive.
- Young people leave the craft.
Revival
Niche brands market Kannauj attars to urban and global buyers.
A Kannauj distiller bakes clay discs and distils them to capture the smell of the first monsoon rain.
Kannauj makes natural attars.
- Kannauj makes attar.
- Deg-bhapka stills are traditional.
- Mitti attar smells like rain.
- Synthetics compete.
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