Text & Photos : Dr. M. A. Haque

Kannauj would be the only place in India where even the drains smell of attar (natural perfume). The city which has been making and supplying the largest variety of attars not only to different parts of India but also the world over, is not well known to even Indians. Despite having a glorious past and potential for tourism it lies in a state of neglect.

Most attars are made from fragrant flowers like rose, jasmine, mogra etc.

Kannauj is a small town on the bank of river Ganga in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is about 80 kilometres from Kanpur, the nearest renowned city in UP. Its distance from Lucknow is about 154 kilometres. Kannauj can be easily reached from both these cities either by road or by train. With less than one lakh population, Kannauj is the largest producer of natural perfume (commonly called attar or itr) in India and has a large share in the international market of attar and similar other products. This is the reason that Kannauj is well-known in business circle. Almost the entire town and the adjoining rural areas are in one way or the other connected to the perfume industry. Farmers in the rural areas provide fresh flowers to the industrial units on a day to day basis. Then there are the artisans who make attar and other products.
Kannauj is dotted with many cottage industries where perfume (attar) and other products are made. On an average, one such industry employs ten to twenty workers whose job is to process materials and prepare perfumes and other products. There are others who do packaging, forwarding etc. The town has a large number of shops which store and display these products. The lanes where these shops are located can attract visitors from a distance by their fragrance. The air in the entire area always remains impregnated with different kinds of fragrances. While one corner may give you the feel of a rose garden, the other may bring the smell of fresh jasmine flowers to your nose. A few steps ahead the air may be full of sandalwood or keora fragrance and further the visitor may get into the illusion that there is parched land nearby and the first rain shower has arrived. In common terminology, it is called mittee ki sondhi sugandh. The different kinds of fragrances are released into the atmosphere from the shops which store different types of attars and other products. Though the products are stored in tightly closed aluminium and glass bottles, yet the fragrances find their way out in the air.
Kannauj was known since long for fragrances of different flowers but recently some new varieties of perfumes have been developed by the local entrepreneurs. For example, the attar which gives the fragrance similar to what emanates from parched land on receiving the first shower is a recent addition. It is commonly called Mitti kaa attar. It is in great demand outside India. People in those places do not have the opportunity to experience the typical natural aroma of dry parched soil when it comes in contact with the first shower. Then there are perfumes which are made from spices. These perfumes add fragrance of spices in the environment. In fact, there is a common saying about Kannauj that even the dirty water that flows in the drains of Kannauj emits fragrance. Surprisingly, it is true. The drains do emit fragrances of different types. There is a scientific reason for the same. We will discuss about it later.
Present-day visitors to Kannauj are generally those who are interested in perfumes and other fragrance products. Most of them are the bulk traders who visit Kannauj to select the right products and place orders. On the other hand, traders from Kannauj visit different markets with samples of their products and do the marketing. They procure orders and arrange for the supply.
Kannauj is comfortably placed between two major cities and trade centres i.e. Kanpur and Lucknow. Most visitors to Kannauj stay either in Kanpur or in Lucknow and visit Kannauj for few hours to finish their job. This is one reason that Kannauj does not have high class facilities for visitors.
Apart from trade linked visitors Kannauj has ample potential to develop as a tourist destination. But that is not happening on account of lack of marketing and proper facilities for visitors. Kannauj town has certain spots which are important from archaeological and religious points of view. Not far from Kannauj is a large lake called Bahoshi which spreads over an area of more than 1750 hectares and the entire wetland including the lake spreads over 5300 hectares. The area is rich in biodiversity. More than 200 species of plants have been identified from the area. The faunal diversity of the area is represented by more than 270 species. The lake area itself supports about 125 species of birds. But the wetland and the lake are suffering on account of encroachment, fast siltation, growth of weeds, pollution etc. The lake area does not have adequate facilities for visitors. Roads are in bad condition and there is no regular transport facility. Recently, the state government, with assistance from the Central Government has started certain conservation measures to protect the lake and the wetland. There are also plans to develop the area as a tourist destination. If the plan is implemented it will be a boon for the Kannauj town. Arrival of tourists will lead to overall development of the town and the neighbouring area.

A glorious past
The present-day Kannauj may not be known to most of us but it has a glorious history. It was one of the important centres of Brahmin culture and civilisation. The ancient name of Kannauj was “Kanyakubj” and the Brahmins having affiliation to Kannauj were called Kanyakubj Brahmins. Importance of Kannauj can be understood from the fact that its mention is there in Mahabharata and Puranas. During the Mahabharata period Kannauj and the adjoining areas formed the Paanchaal Kingdom. During the times of Mahavir and Gautam Buddha there were sixteen large kingdoms in the country and Paanchaal was in the tenth position. Even during the Gupta period i.e. from 4th century B.C. to 5th century A.D. Kannauj was an important city. This is the reason that Kannauj has been described by various historians of the time in their works. Egyptian scholar Ptolemy, who visited India in 2nd century A.D. described Kannauj by the name “Kanogiza”. Chinese traveller, Fa-hien, who visited India during the 4th century A.D. described Kannauj in great detail in his memoirs. He mentioned that the country was highly prosperous and people of the kingdom were generous towards outsiders. Fa-hien also mentioned about the the Pillar he saw which was erected by Emperor Ashoka. During that period Kannauj was a part of Nanda Empire. Hiuen Tsang also visited Kannauj during the seventh century A.D. He wrote about one hundred Buddhist shrines in the area where more than 10000 Buddhist hermits lived. King Harshawardhan had organised a large religious assembly in Kannauj.

Though the products are stored in tightly closed bottles, fragrances find their way out

During ancient times Kannauj was known by several other names like “Mahodaya’, “Kushsthali”, “Gandhipuri”, “Harshawardhan-nagar” etc. The last name was given to Kannauj when Harshawardhan had taken the control of Kannauj during the early part of 7th century A.D. The same event prompted Bana Bhatta to write in detail about Kannauj in the treatise Harsha Charita. During the 11th century Mahmud Ghaznavi attacked Kannauj and captured all its seven forts. Then for about one hundred years Kannauj went into oblivion. But during the 12th century Kannauj became important once again during the reign of Chauhan kings. When Jaichand acceded to the throne, he made Kannauj the capital of his kingdom. The famous historical event, the swyamvar of Princess Sanyogita of Kannauj was held in Kannauj. But all this is history. The present-day Kannauj is a small town and is known mainly for its fragrance and perfume industry.

Invention of attar
It is generally believed that attar making was invented by the famous Iranian philosopher, scientist and physician Avicenna, whose actual name was Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn Sina (generally referred to as Ibn Sina in Arabic and Persian literature). He was born in Bukhara in Persia (modern day Iran) in 980 A.D and lived till 1037 A.D. He was a multifaceted personality. His work in the fields of science, philosophy, medical science etc. is unparalleled. It is understood that he invented the method of attar making from flowers and similar other materials. On account of the same, the Arabic word attar became common world over. Today the word is used for the perfumes prepared by a particular technique in which alcohol is not used at all. The perfumes made in the western world contain alcohol as the solvent. This is the reason that Muslims avoid using the western perfumes. Use of alcohol is strictly prohibited in Islam, not only for consumption but also for external use. This Islamic instruction brings indirect benefit to the perfume industry at Kannauj. Large quantities of different types of attars are exported from Kannauj to Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries. During the Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina) the export market for attar reaches its zenith. Millions of Hajj pilgrims carry attar from Mecca and Medina to their places either for themselves or to gift it to their friends and relatives.
Preparation of perfumed oil has great deal of similarity to attar making. Use of perfumed oil was in vogue in India even in ancient time. Harshawardhan is known to have loved perfumed oil. He used the oil himself and also gifted it to dignitaries visiting his empire.During archaeological excavations, distillation equipments, similar to the ones used today for attar making were discovered in Kannauj. Those equipments are about 5000 years old. These archaeological findings support the fact that attar or attar like materials were prepared in Kannauj even about 5000 years ago. Probably during the intervening periods the art got into oblivion except that during the time of Harshawardhan it got some encouragement. However, the arrival of the Mughals in India changed the scenario completely. Their great love for attar resulted in fast expansion of attar industry in India. Kannauj was an obvious choice for various reasons. It was not very far from the cities which were their capitals from time to time. It is also likely that the tradition of manufacturing perfumed oil and other similar materials had not completely died and there were artisans who had expertise in the technique. Whatever the reason, since the Mughal period, attar manufacture became the most important activity in Kannauj. Mughals encouraged the industry in one more way. The Mughal kings, their family members and others associated with the Mughal courts had affinity for different types of plants, especially the ones which produced beautiful flowers and wonderful fragrance. This is the reason that during the Mughal period large varieties of plants were brought from Central Asia and introduced in India. Kannauj also received its due share resulting in production of new varieties of attar. In this regard, it is interesting to mention that the method for extracting attar from rose flower was invented by the Mughal Princess Noor Jehaan.
During the Mughal period India also became an important economic power and trade with various parts of the world flourished. Attar and other similar items were always a part of the traded commodities. Kannauj became an important hub for trading activities for these materials. It still continues to be so. Undoubtedly, there are small centres of attar and perfume manufacture in south India but Kannauj holds the key position in the country. Apart from other factors mentioned above, strategic location of Kannauj might have also played an important role in this regard. Kannauj is situated in the region where land is fertile and weather conditions are favourable for cultivation of different types of flowers. But not all the materials utilised in Kannauj are of local origin. Various materials for attar making are also imported from other places since local climatic conditions are not favourable for many species.For example, sandalwood oil is obtained from south India and certain spices are brought from outside for attar making. Keora is obtained from far off places.
Tools for making attar

Deghs, the large containers for heating the ingredients have been put on the hearth

Attar is used as such for imparting fragrance to the body and garments. Now a days, it is also used in spas and health resorts as it soothes nerves and provides the feeling of well-being. Certain products like keora water, rose water etc., produced in Kannauj find their way to the food industry. There, these products are used to impart fragrance to food items, especially sweets. Rose water is also much in demand for its medicinal properties. It is commonly used for eye problems and washing of wounds. But the largest consumers of the Kannauj products are the tobacco and paan-masaala industries. Attar provides aroma to cigarettes and also to chewing tobacco (gutkaa). Manufacturers of paan-masaala also use attar for imparting fragrance to their products. Similarly, fragrant betel nut is now available in the market and perfumed cardamom is also being produced. Presently about 90 per cent of the products from Kannauj are consumed by tobacco and other industries.
Kannauj still follows the very old, traditional methods of making attar. If one visits the so called attar factory of Kannauj, one may feel as if the clock has gone back several hundreds of years. Large size copper containers kept on earthen hearths are the most prominent here and heating is done by burning firewood. The large containers for heating the ingredients are called degh. It is a little different from the one which is commonly used for normal cooking and is a bit taller with a shorter diameter. The neck of the degh is such that a cover fits there properly. The cover is commonly called sarposh (meaning: head cover) and is made of copper. For making it steam tight, iron clamps are used to fix the cover on the degh and fine clay mixed with water is applied on the joints. The sarposh has a hole in the middle. A bent pipe (called chogha) made of bamboo is fixed on the cover (sarposh) in the hole. The chogha carries water vapour from the degh into another copper container which is smaller in size and round in shape with a long neck. It is commonly called bhapkaa (vapour receiver). It looks more or less like the traditional earthen surahi (pitcher), commonly used for storing water in summer. The bhapkaa floats on water in a trough, called gacchi. This arrangement is with a specific purpose. From time to time the bhapkaa is rotated so that the entire bhapkaa remains cold. This is essential so that the vapour coming from the degh gets condensed in the bhapkaa and does not escape.
If we compare the equipments used here with any modern distillation unit we will find that the condenser, which is an important component of the modern distillation unit, is missing. In modern distillation system, condenser is a long tube which has several turns or is made like a coil. It is inside a case where cold water is circulated continuously. As a result the vapour coming into the condenser gets converted into liquid and then it flows into the receiver. In the Kannauj system the bhapkaa acts as receiver as well as condenser. Obviously, this system is easy to handle and requires less engineering skills to fabricate. The equipments are fabricated locally by the coppersmiths and other artisans. It is also easy to maintain and repair these equipments. The other advantage is that the equipment is less complicated and hence easy to dismantle and assemble. This is important as the Kannauj manufacturers quite often carry their equipments to distant places and work there. This is required when the material, especially flowers are such which cannot be grown locally. It is not possible to bring flowers from distant places to Kannauj for processing. Flowers once picked must be processed within few hours, otherwise they lose their fragrance. In this regard, it is important to note that equipments similar to those used in Kannauj today have been found in excavations in Takshila and at Indus Valley archaeological sites. This discovery indicates two things i.e. perfume preparation is an ancient art in India and the equipments used in Kannauj have remained almost unchanged for thousands of years.

Pollination of flowers
Processing for production of attar is generally done during the night because most of the attars are made from fragrant flowers like rose, jasmine, champa, mogra, kadam, night jasmine etc. Botanically, flowers are meant for reproduction, hence they contain reproductive parts. Flowers in some species of plants have both male and female parts while in other plants the flowers have either male or the female part. In case of the flowers which have only the male or the female part, it is essential for the reproduction to be complete that pollen grains from male part reach the female part in another flower. Technically, the process of transfer of pollen grains from male organs to female organs of flowers is called pollination. As a result of pollination the female part of the flower gets converted into fruit which has seeds. The seeds on germination produce new plants. Even in case of flowers having both male and female parts it is not essential that the flowers can complete the process of pollination on their own. Generally, the two organs present in the same flower are incompatible. Further, there are species of plants where the two types of flowers produced on the same plant are incompatible. As a result pollen grains from flowers produced by another plant of same species is essential to complete the process of pollination. This arrangement is there in nature to encourage cross pollination and to reduce the chances of inbreeding. Scientifically, cross pollination has greater probability of producing better progeny as compared to inbreeding.

Close up of different types of bottles

Pollen grains from male organs of flowers are carried to the female organs through different means. One of the carriers is the insects. The insects visit one flower after another in search of food in the form of pollen or nectar. In the process pollen grains stick to their body. When the insects move form one flower to another the pollen grains are also carried and these are deposited on the female organs. So, the process of pollination is completed which results in birth of fruits and seeds. It may not be out of place to mention that these insects become a limiting factor in fruits and seeds production if these are not present in adequate numbers. The same generally happens when insecticides are used indiscriminately or there is high level of air pollution. For example, butterflies have almost vanished from our cities and towns on account of high level of air pollution while honey bees and other pollinating insects are easily killed by chemical insecticides. In several areas this is a common reason for reduced production of fruits and other crops. This also explains why the orchard owners and farmers welcome people who practice apiculture (honey bee farming). These people carry bee boxes where bees collect honey. In the process pollination is ensured which directly results in better production of fruits and other crops.
The insects are attracted to flowers for two reasons - either the flowers are brightly coloured or they have fragrance. Colour can work only during the day. This is the reason that flowers blooming during the day are brightly coloured. These flowers may not have fragrance. On the other hand, the flowers that bloom at night are generally not of bright colour as during the night colour cannot attract insects. Most of the night blooming flowers are white for this reason but nature has provided them with strong fragrance. Insects are attracted by the fragrance and the process of pollination is completed.

Processing of attar
Flower attar is prepared from fragrant flowers. These flowers bloom in the late evening or at night. That is the time when the flowers have maximum fragrance. By morning these flowers lose their fragrance. Hence, the flowers are to be picked in the evening. Once picked the flowers do not retain their fragrance for more than few hours. Hence, the processing for attar must start immediately. This is the reason that the attar units in Kannauj work overnight. By evening or early part of the night flowers start arriving in the factories and then the processing start. If attar from some other material is to be prepared the same can be done during the day but for convenience, the entire unit works during night so that there is only one shift.
Generally, the proportion of flower (or other materials of which attar is to be prepared) and water in the degh is 1:2 i.e. for each kilogram of flower about two litres of water is added. The degh is placed on the hearth and firewood is used to heat the materials. The sarposh is placed on the degh and made airtight. The chogha is inserted in the hole of the sarposh and it is also made airtight using wet clay. The other end of the chogha is inserted in the bhapkaa and sandalwood oil is placed in bhapkaa. When the content of the degh boils water vapour is produced which acts as carrier for the fragrant materials emanating from the flowers (or the other materials) kept with water in the degh. After reaching in the bhapkaa the water vapour condenses as the bhapkaa is cold. It floats on water in the gacchi or trough and is regularly rotated manually so that it remains uniformly cold. The fragrant chemicals coming with vapour get absorbed in the sandalwood oil kept in the bhapkaa. The process continues for about ten to twelve hours. By that time all the fragrance from degh is transferred to the bhapkaa. When one bhapkaa gets filled up with condensed water, it is replaced with another. The bhapkaas are kept still on the floor, as a result which the water settles at the bottom and the oil floats above the water as oil is lighter. Once the separation is complete, the bhapkaa is placed on a pedestal and the water part is taken out. For the purpose, the bhapkaa has a small snout or tap at the lower side. The tap is opened and the water is allowed to flow out. Once the entire water is drained the tap is closed so that only oil with fragrance is left behind. The oil is then taken out and stored in specially made leather bottles. Leather allows the remaining water to ooze out and the oil with fragrance or attar remains inside. This is how water is completely removed from attar. Presence of water in attar can spoil it as it will encourage growth of bacteria, fungi etc. Water that is collected from the bhapkaa can be reused in the degh but only in case if another lot of same material is to be processed. If the second lot is different, it cannot be reused. Reason is that the water also carries some fragrance. The previous fragrance on mixing with the second fragrance may degrade the final product. Under the circumstance the water is thrown out in the drains winding along the lanes and roads. Kannauj does not have sewerage system. This is the reason that there is a common saying that the entire atmosphere of Kannauj is always full of fragrance. Even the water flowing in the drains of Kannauj emits fragrance.
When attar is prepared from spices, the degh is filled with a mixture of the spice and water. Rest of the process remains the same. For preparing attar with fragrance of soil on first shower, clay utensils which have not been fired are used in the degh. These are obtained from the kumhars (pottery makers) in raw condition i.e. without firing. The utensils are soaked in water for some time and then the mixture is transferred to the degh, rest of the process remaining the same. Different types of attars so produced are then taken to the godowns and shops for proper storage and display. For preparation of rose water, keora water etc. the bhapkaa contains nothing when distillation process starts. The vapour with fragrance coming from the degh just condenses there to form the fragrant water based material. This then is packaged for sale. This is the reason that these materials are not as costly as the attar. Sandalwood oil is not required for these waters. At times the manufacturers use paraffin in place of sandalwood oil to reduce the cost of attar production. But the attar so made is of inferior quality. However, the same becomes essential as the market for attar is not uniform. There is demand for cheap materials also and the manufacturers have to cater to all sections.
Considering the importance of Kannauj, the Government of India set up the Fragrance & Flavour Development Centre (FFDC) in the city in 1991. FFDC is supposed to help farmers and industries technically so that they may improve the products and compete in the market. But in recent years, the industry is facing different types of problems. One factor is the mounting cost of sandalwood oil. Sandalwood trade is under government control and most of it is exported outside the country. Obviously, it leads to increase in the price of attar. The tobacco industry quite often uses chemical based synthetic perfumes consequently reducing the demand for Kannauj products. However, those chemicals may not be suitable for human consumption as they may cause health problems. Another problem faced by the attar industry is from the cheap synthetic perfumes imported from other countries. Attar is a costly product. Its price generally ranges from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 10 lakh or so per kilogram, depending on the quality. No doubt, a drop of it is sufficient to match several millilitre of the synthetic perfume but very few people are aware of this. In fact, many of the perfume manufacturers just add a few drops of attar in a bottle and the rest is alcohol. Still, common people go for it. There is an urgent need to adopt better marketing strategies for attar. Similar is the case with keora water, rose water etc. Their demand is decreasing because synthetic products are cheaper.

The writer is Director (Scientific) in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi.

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