In Kannauj’s Bara Bazaar, where people, puttering vehicles, and buffaloes mix in labyrinthine streets, thumb-sized glass bottles of lightly coloured liquid are everywhere. In rows of shops — even those selling shoes, clothes, utensils, and groceries — the shiny made-in-China bottles are proof of a booming business. Punctuating the lanes are century-old perfumeries housed in decrepit ancestral havelis, ancient scents wafting out of their half-open wooden doors. Attar, distilled extracts of flowers and herbs in a base of sandalwood oil, got its geographical indication (GI) tag a decade ago, but like Kannauj itself, a city just 130 km from Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow, and spread across just 8 sq km, was beginning to feel tired.
That changed this September, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave out gifts representing India’s heritage to G-20 dignitaries. Kannauj’s attar, in two fragrances — the pink damask rose native to the region and the earthy petrichor — were made for the occasion, and presented in embellished glass bottles.
The 112-year-old Munna Lal Sons & Co., which created them, is the first perfumery and the only one so far from Kannauj to position the traditional product as a brand in the global market. Called Zighrana, its line was first launched in New York in 2015, and a year later in India through online retail. The perfumery belongs to the family of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Kannauj, Subrat Pathak, who in the 2019 Lok Sabha election wrested what was the Samajwadi Party’s ‘safe seat’ for two decades. For the 400-odd attar makers in Kannauj though, that was of no consequence. “It is our loyalty to the product that makes Kannauj world famous,” declares Jagat chaat wala, who draws customers for the khasta (fluffy) kachori, aloo tikki, and paani-puri he sells. One wall of his 2x2-metre shop is stacked with attars. Prices vary from the chaat wala to the ‘showrooms’, ranging from ₹80 to ₹5,000 for 10 ml depending on a variety of factors.
