India has its own perfume city that is Kannauj situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh, northwest of Lucknow. The city is in the industry of making perfumes for more than 500 years (the Mughals came to India). More than 85% of the Kannauj population is involved in this industry. The makers believed that it is an art and they are grateful to their forefathers for it. Till now the making of perfumes is done traditionally and manually.
History of Making Perfumes
The Mughal emperor Jahangir and his queen, Noor Jahan are considered as the first royal patrons of the Kannauj. According to local folklore, Noor Jahan ignited a run-on rose attar after becoming beguiled by the scent of Kannauj roses in her bath. The Mughals marched India in 16 the century with an appetite for fragrances and for over 2 centuries the passion for fragrances was the same. It is also believed that perfumes were made firstly to overcome the smells of holy Havanas and this is practised for over 1000 years.
Demographics of the Perfume Society
Kannauj is the best-suited city for organic fragrances. It is said that the perfumes of different places with the same flavours are different like a perfume of jasmine in India will be different from that of France. It is because of the demographics of the state /area they are found. Around 85% population of Kannauj is involved in perfume making industry.
This city offers many varieties of organic perfumes like roses, Heena, shamana heena, jasmine, bela. The most significant perfume is Mud perfume. It is made of clay after the first rain of the monsoon season. The perfume makers store the beautiful fragrance of the earth in the form of dried flat bricks. The whole process of fragrance-making is done manually and organically. The process is done with all-natural ingredients and they are organic perfumes, unlike modern-day perfumes which have synthetic chemicals in them.
The perfume capital of the world is Grasse, a city in France. The city started the perfume-making industry around 2 centuries ago. The city was first involved with the leather-making business but the taxes increased, and it shifted to perfume making which was before just done to avoid the smell of leather. The perfume factories have now moved out of the old town. But Grasse is still the place to be for fragrance-makers, whether multinationals create signature smells for shampoos and detergents or smaller artisan perfumers.
The organic perfume-making process of Kannauj involves skilled workers and it is a lethargic job. The city is also facing problems because of the youth’s inclination towards western and expensive perfumes like Chanel. The government has also established Fragrance & Flavor Development Centre (FFDC) to develop infrastructure and aid the manufacturing industries. The main objective of the Centre is to serve, sustain and upgrade the status of farmers and industry engaged in aromatic cultivation and its processing, so as to make them competitive both in local & global markets. The perfume city has not let setbacks affect it and is striving over the years.
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