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History of Attar
Attar is a Persian /Arabic word meaning "fragrance,
scent, or essence." Attars have been famous in the Near East, Persia
and India for over 5,000 years.
Attar is also referred to as the Most Exotic Natural Fragrance for
the Soul.
Attar is an incense which has a tremendous effect on the olfactory
nerves of a person.
Attar ( they say, it all started from Attar Rooh Gulab ) is said to
have been discovered by Noorjehan, wife of Emperor Jehangir of the
Mughal era. The story goes that she went for a morning bath and was
delighted with the fragrance of the oily layer on the water which
had been left overnight to keep it cool. When distilled, it turned
out to be her favourite rose perfume.
Old texts mention that the floral group primarily used for
attar manufacture was rose, bela, jasmine, champa, molesari and
tuberose along with roots like vetiver and ginger. Sandal, cinnamon
and aloe bark were also used. Heavy odours like musk, myrrh and
ambergris, were also used with khus. Sandalwood oil forms the base
as, during distillation, the original smell of sandalwood vanishes
and the oil captures the fragrance of the flower.
Attar is much sought after as this centuries-old Indian art of
blending fragrances is evocative of a time of elegance and grandeur.
Distilled from fresh flowers, the fragrances are bottled in cut
glass decanters after a costly and lengthy process.
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