Indian Ittar (Attar)

It is always exciting and enriching to start something new. I am learning and getting to know a lot in order to make this website interesting and worth reading. Hence my passion for blogging and lov eof reading led me to discovery of a very beautiful word Ittar... Reminds me Egyptian gods' names...

Hence here is a little on what Ittar is:

Ittar (Hindi/Urdu) also known as Attar (Arabic: عطر‎) is a natural perfume oil derived from botanical sources. Most commonly these oils are taken from the botanical material through hydro or steam distillation. Oils can also be expressed by chemical means but generally natural perfumes which qualify as Ittar/Attars are distilled naturally. The oils obtained from the herbs flowers and wood are generally distilled into a wood base such as sandalwood and then aged. The aging period can last from one to ten years depending on the botanicals used and the results desired.

The word 'attar', 'ittar' or 'othr' is essentially an Arabic word meaning 'scent'; believed to have been derived from the Persian word Atr, meaning 'fragrance'.

The perfume references are part of a larger text called Brihat-Samhita written by Varahamihira, an Indian astronomer, mathematician and astrologer who lived in the historic city of Ujjain. He was one of the ‘nine jewels’ in the court of the Maharaja of Malwa. The perfume portion mainly deals with the manufacture of perfumes to benefit ‘royal personages and inmates of harems’. The text is written as Sanskrit slokas with commentary by a 10th Century Indian commentator Utpala.

In ancient India, ittar was prepared by placing precious flowers and sacred plants into a water or vegetable oil. Slowly the plants and flowers would infuse the water/oil with their delicate fragrance. The plant and flower material would then be removed and a symphony of their aromatic beauty would be held in the ittar. These ittars were then worn as a sacred perfume or to anoint.

The perfume portion mainly deals with the manufacture of perfumes to benefit ‘royal personages and inmates of harems’. The text is written as Sanskrit slokas with commentary by a 10th Century Indian commentator Utpala.

In ancient India, ittar was prepared by placing precious flowers and sacred plants into a water or vegetable oil. Slowly the plants and flowers would infuse the water/oil with their delicate fragrance. The plant and flower material would then be removed and a symphony of their aromatic beauty would be held in the ittar. These ittars were then worn as a sacred perfume or to anoint.

Upto the present the ittars are being produced and used in India a lot. I myself have a vial which has such a strong scent that I put it on once, and my clothing was still fragrant after many washes!

India has truly savoury  ittar (attar), mostly these are musk, mitti, jasmine, rose, oud, amber, lotus. Try them all and have in your collection, order from our website. Let us know what's your favourite fragrance. Write to Fragrant Land on bindibind.blogspot.com

Best wishes and good mood

from Bindi!