Perfumers of India
www.PerfumersOfIndia.com is an online business
directory for Indian Perfumers. The Indian attars
in the past has been utilized by elite class of
the society particularly kings & queens on their
body. Perfumes and Attars are used most in
cosmetics, Incense sticks (Agarbatti), Dhoopbatti
and in all products that have pleasing fragrance.This online business directory helps find the best
perfumers for your requirements. The aim of this
website to collect and provide listing of all perfumers
from India under one roof.
History of Perfumes
The history of natural attars is very much associated to the history of Kannauj.
Kannauj has been known for natural attars from the Mugal period or even earlier
when aroma bearing substances like Sandal, Musk, Comphor, Saffron were used as such
(without isolation of odorous principles) and the range of such materials and essential
oils were further enriched during the Mugal period, when new plants were brought
by the Mugals from Central Asia to this country. This lead to the discovery and
development of process for the preparation of attar from Roses by Noorjahan, the
Mugal queen, This was the beginning of the natural attars in India, which developed
and progressed in and around Kannauj and is quite strong even now. Floral Attars
may be defined as the distillates obtained by the hydro distillation of flowers
in Sandalwood Oil or other base materials like DOP, DEP, Paraffin etc.
The attars of Rose & Kewra are used as flavours
in Indian sweets. The main users of attars is in
the Pan Masala and Chewing tobacco industry. The
two product also unique to India & consume nearly
80% of all the attars manufactured. All the attars
are used as perfumes by themselves. In India and
middle East, attars are made as offerings to the
God. There are evidences in the history and Hindu
sacred books ( Holy texts) that perfumery tradition
dates back to over 5000 years at the time of Indus
valley civilization as well when distillation practice
was reported to be in existence.
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Manufacturing Process
The attars are manufactured traditionally 'Degs
& Bhapka system', which is a hydro distillation
process. The still is heated form below by lighting
a fire with the help of wood or cow dung. The temperature
and speed of the distillations controlled by regulating
the fire. The distillation is managed by highly
skilled/experience, workers called 'Dighaa'. He
knows when the correct quantity of vapours have
condensed inside the receiver by feeling the round
part of the receiver under water.
The water in the
tank is change continuously to prevent the temperature
rising too high. Managing the still is highly skilled
job, as the operator must keep the boiling in the
still at a level that matches the condensation in
the receiver, in order to keep the pressure under
control. When the desire quantity of vapours have
condensed, the Dighaa rubs a wet cloth around the
body of the still for a temporary pause in distillation
and the filled receiver is replaced by another receiver.
If necessary, the second may be replaced by a third
receiver. The receiver is then allowed to cool and
may remain idle for one or two days depending on
the pressure of work. The mixture of oil and water
is then separated either directly form the receiver
through a hole at the bottom or pouring the whole
mixture in an open trough, After the oil and water
have separated into two layers, the water is removed
from an opening in the bottom, and the same is cohobated.
The base material remains in the receiver. After
desired concentration of the attar has been reached,
then same is poured into leather bottles for sedimentation
and removal of moisture. Sometimes liquid paraffin
is used for the manufacture of cheaper attars. The
mouth of the receiver is sealed by wrapping coarse
cloth around the bamboo pipe and pushing it inside
the condenser. The receiver may contain up to 5-10
kilos of base materials and is kept in a small water
tank.
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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
hersbs and spices are used in this industry which
includes Oakmoss, Sugandh mantri, Laurel berry,
Juniper berry, Cypriol, Indian valerian, Jatamansi,
Hedychium spicatum, Daru Haldi, Sugandha Bala, Sugandha
Kokila, Kulanjan, Javitri/Jaiphal, Cardamom, Clove,
Saffron, Ambergris & Musk. 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's
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. These are all direct fire heated
stills and their capacities can range from 10-160
kilos of floral/herbal materials. 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 One of the peculiar features
of attars distillation is that no separate condenser
is used. The unique odour of attars is obtained
by condensing vapours into the base material,
mainly sandalwood oil. 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. (iv) Traditional Bhatti or Furnace
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 bottle is their semi-permeability
towards water. It is used for removal of moisture
from attars. The leather allows water to move-out
and attar to be remain, as such, thereby separating
the moisture from attar. Copper has been the
main structural material for Deg and Bhapka
because it is malleable , good conductor of
heat & easy to repair.
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Types of Attars
The attars may be broadly categorized into following
types on the basis of raw materials used. Floral
Attars – Attars manufactured from single species
of flower are coming under this category.
These
are :-
- Gulab ex Rosa damascena or Rosa Edword
- Kewra ex Pandanus odoratissimus
- Motia ex Jasminum sambac
- Gulhina ex lawsonia inermis
- Chameli ex Jasminum grandiflorum
- Kadam ex Anthoephalus cadamba
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Herbal and Spicy Attar
Attar manufactured from combination of floral,
herbal & spicy materials are coming under this category.
Hina and its various forms viz., Shamama, Shamam
–tul –Amber, Musk Amber and Musk Hina. The some
attars which are neither floral nor herbal and are
coming under this category. Attar Mitti falls under
this category and is produced by distillation of
baked earth over base material. USES The Indian
attars in the past has been utilized by elite class
of the society particularly kinds & queens on their
body. With the span of time kingdoms got abolished
and hence the kings & queens. But, attars industry
got a new dimension form the field of fragrance
to flavour and now a days it is used in the following
areas;
- Pan Masala and Gutka is the largest consumer
of Indian attars. The reason for using it is
it's extraordinary tenacity along with characteristic
to withstand with tobacco note. The attars used
are rose, Kewra, Mehndi, Hina, Shamama, Mitti,
Marigold etc.
- Tobacco is relatively smaller segment for
attar consumption as compared to above industry.
The attars used are mainly kewra & Rose. Alongwith
Pan masala & Gutkha it contributes to more the
75% of attar consumption.
- Betlenet is relatively smaller segment for
attar consumption as compared to above two industry.
The attars used are mainly Kewra & Rose.
- It is used by people as a personal perfume,
particularly by Muslims due to absence of alcohol.
- Attars does have the application in pharmaceutical
industry too.
- Attars of Rose & Kewra are used in traditional
Indian sweets , for imparting flavor.
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Quality Standard
The quality of Attars can be ensured by
- Controlling the qualities of raw material
i.e. flowers & base materials like sandalwood
oil etc.
- Standardization of process parameters. The
BIS specification is available for the analysis
of Sandalwood oil. Most of the species which
are used in the manufacturing of Indian traditional
fragrances for example Sugandh Mantri, Sugandh
Bala, Kapoor Kachri, Jatamansi, Nagarmotha,
etc. have no specification for their quality
assessment.
The quality of attars depends upon.
- The quality of flower
- The time duration between the plucking
of flower and charging into the stills,
- The process parameters of distillation.
To survive in the world market of fragrance
& flavour, it is necessary that attars should
be of standard quality. Therefore, their standardization
is essential to sustain in the world market.
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