Traditional Method of Making Attar in Kannaujijirssc.in/pdf/1464791349.pdf · like in the Brihat-samhita is a 6th century Sanskrit encyclopedia by Varahmihira (505A.D. - 587A.D.)

International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Science Society and Culture(IJIRSSC) Vol: 2, Issue:1, (June Issue), 2016 ISSN: (P) 2395-4345, (O) 2455-2909 © IJIRSSC

www.ijirssc.in Page 71

Traditional Method of Making Attar in Kannauj

Saba Tabassum1 , Prof. S. Asif , A. Naqvi

2

Research Scholar, Department of Museology, AMU Aligarh

Professor,Department of Museology, AMU Aligarh

[email protected]

[email protected]

ABSTRACT : The term cultural heritage has changed considerably in recent decades, partially owing to

the instruments developed by UNESCO. Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collection of

objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from ancestors and passed on to

descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge

and practices concerning nature or the knowledge and skill to produce traditional crafts1. Traditional

craftsmanship is perhaps the most tangible manifestation of intangible cultural heritage. However, The

General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) meeting in Paris, from 29 September to 17 October 2003, [1]at its 32nd

session gave the

convention for safeguarding ICH ,is mainly concerned with skills and knowledge involved in

craftsmanship rather than the craft products themselves. Instead of just focusing on preserving craft

objects attempts should be made for encouraging artisans to continue to produce crafts and to pass on

their skills and knowledge to others, particularly within their own communities.2 There are numerous

expressions of traditional craftsmanship. India is known not only for its natural and cultural Heritage

such as lakes, majestic palaces, temples, monuments etc. The diversity of floral heritage specially

flowers and fragrance has always occupied a prestigious position in Indian culture. Nature has

provided India with abundant source of wonderful fragrance which can evoke deep feeling of joy,

excitement or serenity with us. The culture of attar production is the heritage of the people of Kannauj

has been known for natural attar from Mughal period or even earlier. The beginning of natural attar in

India which developed and progressed in and around Kannauj is quiet strong even now. The

perfumeries in Kannauj still use age old method to produce all natural scents to maintain attar

originality and quality. Attar making is labour intensive process requiring combination of great, talent,

skill and patience. Because of high cost of raw material and labour intensive nature of this process of

traditional attar making art is unfortunately declining and may be extinct if measures steps to

safeguard it are not taken timely. It is up to us, the consumer of attars to support the few remaining

attar makers as to maintain the naturality of attar culture and tradition. This is an area where

industries, Govt. NGOs, Heritologist , Museologist all have to work together. This paper is an attempt

to highlight the traditional attar making and thereby suggesting some means to keep this rich heritage

alive.

Keywords: Attar, Cultural heritage, intangible, museologist, tangible, Traditional craftsmanship

______________________________________________________________________

I. Introduction: Heritages are things that we regard as important to preserve for future generations. They

may be significant due to their present or possible economic value, it create a certain emotion

within us or they a make us and feel as that we belong to something i.e. to traditional way of

life. They might be objects that can be held and buildings that can be explored or songs that

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can be sung and stories that can be told whatever shape they take these things form part of a

heritage. This heritage requires active effort on our part in order to safeguard it.

The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization hereinafter referred to as UNESCO, meeting in Paris, from 29 September to 17

October 2003 [1], at its 32nd session adopted a convention for safeguarding Intangible

cultural heritage (ICH).[3] The “intangible cultural heritage” define as, the practices,

representations, expressions, knowledge, skills - as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts

and cultural spaces associated therewith - that communities, groups and in some cases,

individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage (UNESCO 2003).[4] Intangible cultural

heritage, transmitted from generation to generation and is constantly recreated by communities

and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and

provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural

diversity and human creativity. The “intangible cultural heritage”, as defined by UNESCO is

manifested inter alia in the following domains:

• Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible

cultural heritage;

• Performing arts;

• Social practices, rituals and festive events;

• Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe;

• Traditional craftsmanship.5

In 2007, there was a paradigm shift in museum definition. The phrase material evidence in the

definition was replaced by tangible and intangible heritage. Therefore, museums are also

concerned with safeguarding intangible heritage along with tangible.

Ittar or Attar or itr is a type of natural perfume extracted from flowers, herbs, spices or

barks into base oil such as sandalwood oil. It is very popular in the Middle East, South Asia

sand parts of Africa. The word ittar is derived from the Persian word atr, which means

fragrance. It‟s not new to the world, its history dates back to the Mughal era, as nobles in the

royal court would apply ittar. People dealing with ittar (Ittarwallahs) boast of selling their

perfumes to the erstwhile Mughal princesses, nobles, and the British clolonists. In the old

cities across India there are shops and agencies that have been producing and selling ittar for

centuries now..

II. Objectives of the Study: The main objectives of the present research paper are as fallows.

1. To document the status of traditional methods and craftsmanship of attar making in

Kannauj.



2. To find out the constrains and difficulties faced by practitioners of this traditional

techniques.

3. To analyze the various factors which are responsible for the decline of the

craftsmanship.

III.Database and Methodology

To collect the primary data following methods have been used:

1. Field survey

2. Interaction with craftsman and owners of manufacturing unit.

3. Audio visual documentation of raw materials, equipment and practices etc.

IV.Results and Discussion:

Attar is the most common form of concentrated perfumes. Attars are natural perfumes for

daily use and they are not injurious to health as alcohol based perfume can be and is

appropriate for both man and woman. It contains about 20%-50% concentrated perfumes. It is

a mix of various extracts and can be effective for about 10 years. The history of Indian

perfumes is as old as the civilization itself. Archaeological evidence shows the earliest

inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent held plants in great reverence. With the passage of time,

scented oils were extracted by pressing, pulverizing or distilling aromatics vegetable and

animal produce. Such processes led to the development of the art of alchemy, the earliest

indications of which are available from the perfume jars and terracotta containers found in

excavation of the Indus valley civilization. This art of perfumery has survived for centuries and

speaks volume for the Indian perfumes.6

Archaeological excavations of Indus valley civilization have revealed round copper stills

are called „degs‟. Following the seasons of the flowers, traditional attar-makers, with their

degs, travelled all over India to make their fresh attars on the spot. Even today, few traditional

“ittar- makers travel with their degs during harvesting period. Their equipment has changed

little. A large number of references to cosmetics and perfumes in Sanskrit literature were found

like in the Brihat-samhita is a 6th

century Sanskrit encyclopedia by Varahmihira (505A.D. -

587A.D.). Cosmetics and perfumes making were mainly practiced for the purpose of worship,

sell and sensual enjoyment. Gandhayukti gave recipes for making scents. It gives a list of eight

aromatics ingredients used for making scents. They were Rodhar, Usira, Bgnonia, A guru,

Musta, Vana, Priyangu and pathya. Gandhyaukti gave recipes for mouth perfumes, bath

powders, incense and talcum powder, the manufacture of rose water began perhaps in the

nineteenth century AD. The earliest distillation of ittar was mentioned in the ayurvedic text

Charaka Samhita, The Hurshcharita, written in 7th

Century AD in northern India, mentions use

of agar wood oils.



Ittar figures into some of the romantic stones of a bygone era. It patrons included great

poets like the legendary Mirza Ghalib. When Glialib met his beloved in the winter, he rubbed

his hands, face with ittar hina. In Ain-e-Akbari, Abul Fazal, has mentioned that Akbar used

ittar daily and burnt incense sticks in gold and silver censers. A princess‟s bath was incomplete

without incense and ittar. A very popular iitar with the Mughal princes was oud, prepared in

Assam.

Kannauj is situated on the banks of sacred River Ganges, 80km, from Kanpur in Uttar

Pradesh, well known in ancient time as „Harsh Vardhan City' today it prides itself as the „Attar

City‟ or the perfume city of India. Kannauj is a major attar producing city. Here, there is a

legend on how' die first ittars were made in the era. The forest dwelling faqir‟s and sadhu

(ascetics) used certain fragrant jungle herbs and roots in their bonfires during the winters. The

shepherds who grazed their sheep in that region found die perfume lingering in the burnt wood,

long after the ascetics left the place. Word spread about his incident and some enterprising

people searched and found die fragrant herbs and roots. Then the experiments on ittar began

and the first ittars to be made were Rose and Hina.

Method of Making Attar

Kannauj tradition still thrive today fondly preserved by artisanal craftsman and small producers

and passed on from generation to generation traditions like these often blur the distinction

between art and craft. As you watch traditional craftsman at work you will be amazed at how

modern old skills can be.

Equipments

The attar manufacturing for floral type takes place in remote places because the flowers are

required to be processed quickly after plucking. The apparatus & equipment used for

manufacture of attar are light, flexible, easy to repair with a fair degree of efficiency, keeping

in view the above facts, the traditional Deg & Bhapka process is being used for centuries and

even now.

The details of equipments are as follows:-

• Deg or Still

The process is carried out in copper stills called „Degs‟ as was done centuries ago. The lid of

the still is called „Sarpos‟ and is also made of copper having opening for connections to one or

two receivers.

• Bhapka or Receiver

The receiver is built of copper and is of round shape with long neck, for case in connection

with Deg via Chonga. It is known as Bhapka and it acts as condenser as well.

• Chonga or Bamboo Condenser



The still and receiver are connected by a Chonga. This is a hollow bamboo pipe wrapped with

twine for insulation.

• Traditional Bhatti or Furnace

It is made up of bricks and clay. Normally wood or coal is used for heating. Heat is controlled

manually.

• Gachchi or cooling water tank

This is the place where Bhapka, or receiver is kept and used for cooling the distillate from Deg.

• Kuppi or leather bottle

These are the bottle made from leather of animals. The reason for making these bottles is their

semi-permeability towards water. It is used for removal of moisture from attars.

Raw Materials and their Sources:

Base Material : Sandal wood oil, Di-octyl Phthalate (DOP) & Liquid paraffin.

Floral Material: Flowers of Gulab, Kewra, Bela, Mehndi, Kadam, Chameli, Marigold, Saffron

& Maulshri.

Herb & Spices: A number of herbs and spices are used in this industry which includes

Oakmoss, Sugandh mantra, Laurel berry, Juniper berry, Cypriol, Indian valerian, Jatamansi,

Hedychium spicatum, Daru Haldi, Sugandha Bala, Sugandha Kokila, Kulanjan, Javitri/Jaiphail,

Cardamom, Cloves, Saffron, Ambergris & Musk.

Sources: Sandal wood oil – South India, Rose, Aligarh (U.P.), Palampur (H.P.), Kewra –

Ganjam (Orissa)

Manufacturing Process:

The attars are made using the centuries old copper vessels called Deg (Kettle) or Stills

and Bhapka (Receiver). The Deg & Bhapka system is based on hydro distillation technique is

also made of copper having openings for connections to one or two receivers. The Deg

capacity range between 10 and 160 Kilos of floral/herbal material. First, filing the plant in the

Deg with the requisite amount of water, the lid is sealed with a mixture of cotton and clay. The

Deg is heated on wood and cow dung cakes fire. The temperature is controlled by putting in

more wood/cow dung cakes or by removing the same. While boiling the raw material in the

Deg there is considerable increase in pressure inside the Deg. To prevent the lid from blowing-

off, a leaf spring called Komoniis used on the top of the lid. The Bhapka is copper made and

generally round in shape with a long neck. The fragrance of flowers (raw material) is obtained

by condensing vapours into the base material, which is primarily sandalwood oil.



The Deg and Bhapka are connected by a Chonga. The chonga acts as a condenser. The

mouth of the Bhapka is sealed by wrapping coarse cloth around the bamboo pipe and pushing

it inside the condenser. The Bhapka may contain up to 5-10 Kilos of base material and is kept

cool in a small water tank. The distillation is managed by highly experienced and skilled

workers known as Dighoo. The Dighoo knows by experience when enough vapours have been

condensed inside the Bhapka. The water of the tank inside of which Bhapka placed is changed

continuously to keep the Bhapka cool, when the desired quantity of vapours get condensed, the

Dighoo rubs wet cloth around the body of the still for a temporary pause in distillation and the

filled Bhapka is replaced by another Bhapka. The Bhapka is then allowed to cool. The mixture

of oil and water is then separated either directly from the Bhapka through a hole at the bottom

or pouring the mixture in an open trough. After the oil and water have been separated as two

different layers, the water is removed for an opening in the bottom which goes back to the Deg.

The base material remains in the Bhapka. If the desired concentration of attar is achieved, then

the final attar is poured into leather bottles, known as Kuppi, made of buffalo or camel leather

for sedimentation and removal of moisture from the attar. If the desired concentration level is

not achieved in the attar, then the attar is poured sback to the Bhapka. The Bhapka is then

attached to the Deg and the above explained process is repeated till the desired attar

concentration is not achieved [7]







V. Conclusion:

One product found in every household in Kannauj is „attar‟ (perfume/essential oil). Rows

of sparkling ornate bottles of perfumes, attars and essential oils adorn every second shop of the

town, be it a restaurant, general store, clothes or utensil shop. The legacy of manufacturing and

selling attar in Kannauj dates back to the Mughal period and more than 60% of local

population is engaged in the business. Attar manufacturers claim the present government could

have helped Kannauj in many more ways like giving them training and financial assistance and

helping them approach multinational companies for bulk deals, an exporter says “the industry



needs latest research and testing laboratories to meet international standards and quality of

products.

State government should have focused on improving the R&D of attar industry.” The

exporters also demand that government should try to reduce excise duty on attars and essential

oils which is presently, very high at 17.5%.

Manufacturers are happy with the state government‟s decision to reduce VAT on attars

from 13.5% to 5% and making gulabjal and kevra tax-free. A manufacturer says “much of our

profit margins were dented by excessive tax.”

The stakeholders, however, also want the state government to lift ban on production of

sandal oil. In UP, cutting of sandal trees and trade of sandalwood was banned more than 20

years ago. This move didn‟t go down well with the attar manufacturers as about 80% of the

essential oils comprise sandal oil. Following the ban, around 15-odd sandal oil plants were shut

down. Some manufacturers diversified business, while others migrated to Mysore, Karnataka,

or Madhya Pradesh.

This exodus dealt a huge revenue loss and hit livelihood. Government should lift the ban

and revive closed manufacturing units. Manufacturers are purchasing sandalwood at a higher

rate from other states. “Earlier manufacturers could get 1 kg sandalwood for Rs. 65-70,000, but

now they get it at Rs. 1.25 to Rs. 1.45 lakh per kg.” Besides, ban on tobacco and gutkha

consumption has also hit their business.

Government should also promote the use and usage of the attar over the synthetic

perfumes and other similar products.

References :

[1] United Nations Education, scientific in cultural organization (2003 ,October 17)

[2] United Nations Education, scientific in cultural organization (2016 May 5)

a. What is Intangible cultural heritage.

b. Retrieval from www.unesco.org/cultural /ich/en/what-is-intangible-heritage.

[3] United Nations Education, Scientific in Cultural Organization (2016 May 1)

a. Traditional Craftsmanship

b. Retrieve from www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/traditional-craftsmanship-00057.

[4] Stefane, Michelle L, Davis Peter and Corsane Gerane, Safeguarding Intangible Cultural

Heritage, 2012. Touching the Intangible: An Introcution, Boyell Press, New York.

[5] History of perfume.

a. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/history-of-perfume (visit it on 2016 May 1)

[6] Fragrance, Flowers & Attar

a. Kannauj.nic.in/attar.htm (visit it on 2016 May 10)

[7] All the figures referred are original contribution of author taken in kannauj refineries.

http://www.unesco.org/cultural

http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/traditional-craftsmanship-00057

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/history-of-perfume

Documents

Traditional Method of Making Attar in Kannaujijirssc.in/pdf/1464791349.pdf · like in the Brihat-samhita is a 6th century Sanskrit encyclopedia by Varahmihira (505A.D. - 587A.D.)