{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","contentId":"0000018e-c12f-d04a-abdf-fd3f8eea0001","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.in/news/small-business/know-how-indian-attar-perfume-is-made","headline":"From Kannauj to your home–here’s a peek into the intricate process of making ‘Attar’ perfumes at Boond Fragrance","description":"Experience the essence of ancient Indian perfume. Read the 12 steps with which the attar perfume is made. Click to know more!","datePublished":"2024-04-09T06:56:35.031Z","dateModified":"2024-04-09T06:56:35.031Z","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Darshan Manakkal","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.in/author/darshan-manakkal","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/5cc84fc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1843x1843+0+204/resize/84x84!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F06%2F5f%2F7639243f46ba8bd6cf1a94ebd544%2Fprofilepic-dm.jpg","width":"84","height":"84"}}],"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/c2d631b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1350x900+125+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F35%2Fe7%2F35f7ea9c4ca7a1e46345ce3e6a98%2Fattar-heroimage-1.jpg","width":"300","height":"200"},"articleBody":"![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/c2d631b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1350x900+125+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F35%2Fe7%2F35f7ea9c4ca7a1e46345ce3e6a98%2Fattar-heroimage-1.jpg)\n\n# From Kannauj to your home–here’s a peek into the intricate process of making ‘Attar’ perfumes at Boond Fragrance\n\n*The Attar-making tradition was dwindling until the pandemic hit. Kannauj–India’s perfume capital–is now seeing a renaissance led by companies like Boond that are taking Attar pan-India with Amazon.in.*\n\n![Luxury Linen from Giza Cotton by Indore company - Cottington Lane](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/01fc998/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1341x894+124+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fc2%2F9c%2Fa29386f143828e02fe3083503b87%2Fcottington5.PNG)\n\n- [From India to the world: Indore-based SMB spins luxurious home linens ](https://www.aboutamazon.in/news/small-business/cottington-lane-linen-amazon-global-selling)\n\nCirca May 2020: Siblings Krati and Varun Tandon were hunkered down in their hometown Kannauj–a sleepy oasis on the banks of the Ganges–facing an unprecedented pause in their busy lives. The entire nation was reeling under the first COVID-19 wave and the subsequent lockdown which pushed commerce to a standstill. Keen to use their time productively, Krati–an alumnus of the Indian School of Business–and Varun–a national award-winning writer and director–turned their attention to Kannauj’s once-burgeoning natural perfume industry. Witnessing firsthand the struggles of local artisans (the siblings’ father Pravin Tandon also occasionally experimented with perfumes at home), they saw an opportunity to support perfumeries and use their business skills to promote natural, oil-based perfumes.\n\n![Amazon Scam Protection for Consumers](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/95bd370/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x720+100+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fb5%2Ffd%2Fbf4f882f485e85bf1bb5f1fcfc9b%2Ffinancial-scams-customers-amazon-lead.jpg)\n\n- [Here’s how Amazon helps protect consumers from scammers](https://www.aboutamazon.in/news/retail/amazon-guide-to-protecting-customers-from-scammers)\n\nIn 2021, the siblings established Boond Fragrances with the mission of reviving Kannauj’s Attar production. Today, Boond sells over 18 products on Amazon.in and has created employment opportunities for 15+ artisans across the country. Some of Boond’s best selling products are [*Maati* (Petrichor)](https://www.amazon.in/Boond-Fragrances-Petrichor-Fragrance-perfume-3ml/dp/B09ZRW1DHN/ref=sr_1_5?adgrpid=139130073977&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XUfpy4fgZdskAfgJtGAVapJUsR7CbJ0hqXrqUf7ES8GQqjPl5Ts1NXcS5mjnidDwwG2Qf79tf3Je-Jgv4VLHkVoLYU8pTJRTewBV1SEkA_T5vg6yLvTRndAsbztPNgMlg2HCyMN4BS8zDilpFV2_yLfHyHhquL_PjoAtzhi5806m_9sbS1Yg2zKYAq2_PVDzE56A_WjhDMGJOSd-IFZmKspLGS8wk-KWPFeIPvc8iZt-S4M2bLqYCKZ26EGjRjfyslDLxzTicm_rJQ2dou8rzOg4AwYVyLUAuCJUpywTYLU.BX7-jtwwgQWrxnJGWpXODqt-qXyDtCXb2JZN0VL-DNk&dib_tag=se&ext_vrnc=hi&gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYdmrMFE6caiNm-qL6nb9QjjpFAMcMddIZsKp0THnYqAvidn_UrHCgBoCT0kQAvD_BwE&hvadid=621757455498&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1007785&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=8827375908267060869&hvtargid=kwd-1677891472454&hydadcr=26353_2635094&keywords=boond%2Bperfume&qid=1712034060&sr=8-5&th=1), [*Motiya* (Jasmine)](https://www.amazon.in/Boond-Fragrances-Jasmine-fragrance-perfume-3ml/dp/B09ZRPTS7R?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1) and [*Lavya* (Lavender)](https://www.amazon.in/Boond-Fragrances-Fragrance-evergreen-fragrance/dp/B0CTQVPDFD?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1). “The passion, aspirations, and traditional wisdom of everyone involved in the making of Attar is passed on to the consumer,” says Kannauj-based Pravin Tandon, who oversees Boond’s operations, besides running his own cold storage business\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/fe25ba3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fc9%2F03%2Fddce2a4a414cbeba964adc9a4bb0%2Fattar-inline-3.jpg)\n*Containers of attar with different natural fragrances at Boond*\n\n## Kannauj’s centuries-old legacy of natural perfumes\n\n![Amazon leaders at Amazon Smbhav Summit 2025](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/57aa8b6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2573x1715+0+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fa7%2F82%2Fcf92dfca4240bf9b1998bd9c6e18%2Fsmbhav2025-amazonleaders.jpeg)\n\n- [How Amazon is supporting India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision](https://www.aboutamazon.in/news/small-business/amazon-india-smbhav-pledges)\n\nFor over four centuries, Kannauj has proudly worn the title of India’s perfume capital. Yet, the 20th century presented formidable challenges: the economic liberalisation of 1991 led to a period of decline as cheap, alcohol-based perfume imports threatened to relegate Attar, once favoured by emperors, to the annals of history. Sample this: there were 700 distilleries in Kannauj until the 1990s, [a number that dropped to 150-200 by the mid-2000s.](https://www.sahapedia.org/technologies-of-perfumery-india-overview-and-the-case-of-kannauj)\n\nKannauj’s Attar makers adapted in response, turning to the tobacco and food flavouring markets to sustain their craft. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns once again threatened to extinguish this new revenue stream.\n\nBut the pandemic also presented a silver lining: rekindling a growing demand for all-natural products. Natural perfumes are largely believed to be safe, non-toxic and hypo-allergenic - gentle for all skin types and suitable for your lungs too. Natural perfumes are environment-friendly: the preparation process of Attar and other natural fragrances does not include chemicals such as phthalates.\n\n![Alia Bhatt wearing an Ajrakh saree](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/2cbcdc3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x720+100+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F79%2Fb7%2F208d39b7492aa3c7b885258abb04%2Fakrakh-lead-alia.png)\n\n- [Here’s why Ajrakh—a 4,000-year-old Indian textile—has become an internet sensation](https://www.aboutamazon.in/news/small-business/ajrakh-print-saree-kurti-and-shawls)\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/6d43405/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F53%2F60%2Fedb427af45ad95aed2c906897a96%2Fattar-inline-1.jpg)\n*A bottle of Kannauj Attar by Boond*\n\n## From Kannauj to you\n\n![Attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/ec4b078/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Ff9%2F67%2F45f42bfe41939e1d987416d6c59f%2Fattar-inline-10.jpg)\n*Handwritten notes and poems by local school teachers are inserted in every package by Boond*\n\nThe team at Boond says they have helped introduce a whole new generation to the allure of Attar with a blend of passion and personalisation. Boond is an artisan-led brand, where every element, from the perfume to the packaging, is thoughtfully crafted by local *karigars*. The packaging is handmade from recycled paper that is screen-printed. Handwritten notes and poems crafted by local school teachers are inserted in every little box.\n\n## Nature in a bottle\n\n![Attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/e179a11/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F3d%2F79%2F04f8d3604cfb81ffce3ff4699fb8%2Fattar-inline-9.jpg)\n*‘Maati’, the first fragrance by Boond*\n\nAt Boond, flowers, herbs, spices, wood and clay find a second life in the creation of Attar. Traditionally, Attar uses sandalwood infused with botanicals to create a concentrated solution. The scent of a single droplet of Attar could linger for days. The very first fragrance the Tandon siblings chose to bottle was *Maati*—the evocative earthy scent of the first rain on dry soil. “*Maati* is the smell of home. More than just a fragrance, it’s a memory,” says Varun Tandon. “The moment you smell *Maati*, you forget the stress of your daily life and go back in time to a childhood memory of being out in the rain.”\n\n## Supporting livelihoods\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/f5b8ee2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F53%2F3e%2F62ca8d1e43dba05a43b5d8988c79%2Fattar-inline-5.jpg)\n*Cakes of clay called *tikkis* drying in the sun, being prepared for making Attar*\n\nLike most of Kannauj’s attar makers, Boond sources its ingredients from farmers on the town’s outskirts who cultivate damask roses, marigolds and jasmine. *Maati’s* key ingredient—*chikni mitti*, a dark alluvial clay —is found on the banks of lakes and ponds in the region. Mohan Lal, who supplies Boond with baked clay for making *Maati*, has worked as a potter for four decades. Three generations of his family work together to prepare the clay for Attar production.\n\n![Local shops of India](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/beb1faf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x720+100+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Ff0%2F53%2Fec65b7dc444f849d241cdb637dcb%2Frevised-local-24-01-24.jpg)\n\n- [How the dukaans of Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar and Delhi’s Chandni Chowk went pan-India](https://www.aboutamazon.in/news/small-business/amazon-local-shop-program)\n\n## The intricate process of baking clay for *Maati*\n\nInitially, the wet clay is shaped into cakes, known as *tikkis*, on a potter’s wheel. These are then left to dry under the sun before the dried *tikkis* are fired in a brick oven. “In a day, we make up to 20 quintals (2,000 kg) of *tikkis* for Attar,” says Lal. “Even the broken shards from the pots we make are sent for making Attar. Nothing goes to waste.”\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/992fd0f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F32%2F47%2F09cc4e40405cb757e588cd3aeb41%2Fattar-inline-2.jpg)\n**Bhapka*, a traditional copper vessel used in Attar distillation at Boond*\n\n## The *Degh-Bhapka* method of producing Attar\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/fdd41cd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fdf%2F6f%2F2adba71c4397948d0e47dfbac518%2Fattar-inline-6.jpg)\n*The *degh*, a copper still and the *chonga*, a bamboo reed*\n\nEven today, Attar at Boond is crafted using a centuries-old, time-tested technique known as *Degh-Bhapka*. The *Maati* creation process begins with a *degh*, a copper still, filled with fresh water and the main ingredient (baked clay). The *degh’s* lid is sealed to ensure no steam escapes. A bamboo reed, known as a *chonga*, connects the *degh* to the *bhapka*, a copper vessel containing the carrier oil, typically sandalwood oil. The *degh* is heated over a gentle fire fueled by cow dung. As the contents of the *degh* begin to simmer, the essential oils in the clay vapourise and travel as steam through the *chonga* to the *bhapka*, which is kept submerged in water to cool. The vapours then condense and are absorbed by the sandalwood oil. This process, lasting about five hours, is repeated until the desired potency is achieved. After extraction, the Attar is aged, further enriching its complexity and depth.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/6b3bbb5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fbe%2F8b%2F99793c9447b7a32293a17fa060ca%2Fprocess-1.jpg)\nStep 1: *Chikni mitti*, an alluvial clay is shaped into round cakes called tikkis, on a potter’s wheel.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/12d3d77/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fab%2Fd6%2F75eb6d9545d9b5527095061686c6%2Fprocess-2.jpg)\nStep 2: The clay *tikkis* are put out to dry.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/98706bd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fd2%2Ff1%2F752532aa4b1ebf2048d4da54ea67%2Fprocess-3.jpg)\nStep 3: The dried *tikkis* are fired in an oven.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/3264af6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F9b%2F60%2F1cbeacac44fb93d4ec393bd7c1bf%2Fprocess-4.jpg)\nStep 4: Baked *tikkis* along with shards of broken pottery and fresh water are added to a *degh*, a copper still (vessel).\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/f19c010/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F9f%2F66%2F90afec554cb6a81994339cad5714%2Fprocess-5.jpg)\nStep 5: The *degh* is sealed with a cloth saturated with clay to ensure no steam can escape.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/3f6d193/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fd3%2Ff7%2F89273ae5472e85329c037ad85629%2Fprocess-6.jpg)\nStep 6: The *chonga*, a long bamboo reed pipe is readied.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/a604cfd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F68%2F55%2F36d995244ad18030c808db7fd032%2Fprocess-7.jpg)\nStep 7: The *chonga* is connected to a *bhapka*, a copper receiver containing a carrier oil like sandalwood oil, which is then submerged in water.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/3c80865/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F56%2F72%2Ffa8acdb14ca694c1ac436ae97df3%2Fprocess-8.jpg)\nStep 8: The other end of the *chonga* is connected to the *degh* and sealed.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/dc96ed2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F94%2F87%2Fb4ca9840405fb6972b793778e61e%2Fprocess-9.jpg)\nStep 9: The *degh* is allowed to simmer over a gentle fire, fuelled by dried cow dung. The distillation process could take up to 5 hours.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/abbcb53/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fbc%2F61%2F03e54f984995b16d159c9e634fd2%2Fprocess-10.jpg)\nStep 10: Vapours of essential oils condense in the *bhapka* along with steam. The excess water is carefully drained out\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/994764b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fb0%2Faa%2F0fa27152419f8e4386bffa26bfe9%2Fprocess-11.jpg)\nStep 11: The process is repeated till the distillate in the *bhapka* reaches the desired potency. Attar is then poured out into a container.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/969811c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fa8%2F3e%2Fc6770de14e2a8f66de37830506ec%2Fprocess-12.jpg)\nStep 12: The Attar is stored for a period of time to allow it to age, to add depth and complexity, before being finally bottled.\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/7423f53/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F14%2F88%2F44bedaa54631aa4c866d31ddccf7%2Fattar-inline-4.jpg)\n\n## The artist behind the art of making Attar\n\n![Boond attar factory in Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/d0a68c2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F47%2F48%2F4a281c824acf8e3daa127c25a390%2Fattar-inline-7.jpg)\n**M*ahesh Chand, a *digaha* or master Attar craftsman, has been working in the Attar industry for 30 years*\n\nThe process of making Attar happens under the watchful eye of a *digaha*, a master Attar craftsman. Mahesh Chand, the *digaha* at Boond has been making Attar for over 30 years. His is an art form that has been passed down from master to apprentice through the generations. Chand tends to the fire, while feeling the temperature of the *degh* with his bare hands and listening to the steam passing through the *chonga*. These senses are his tools; he has no use for meters or gauges. However, his craft was once on the brink of extinction. “With each passing year, in Kannauj, fewer people were making attar. When the pandemic hit, I thought there was no future and turned to farming,” Chand recounts. But there has been a resurgence of global interest in Attar thanks to the pandemic and the ability of Attar makers/sellers to connect with shoppers pan-India through [Amazon.in](http://amazon.in/). “Today, every other house in Kannauj has a *degh*,” Chand says with a smile.\n\n## A new dawn\n\n![Attar fatory Kannauj](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/93d759f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fe1%2Ffa%2F31b23e1e4fd4a7e80a124275088a%2Finline-attar-11.jpg)\n*Pravin Tandon manages operations for Boond*\n\nIn the lanes of Kannauj’s main market, the famed Bara Bazaar, the air buzzes with commerce and the diverse scents of Attar. Intergenerational distillers and startups like Boond are weaving old with new, inviting the world to rediscover the magic of Kannauj Attar.“In the end, it’s not only a bottle of attar but love, incarnated in the most intimate form possible,” says Pravin Tandon.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"About Amazon","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com","sameAs":["https://x.com/amazonnews","https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon","https://www.instagram.com/amazonnews"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/bd/8f/88e7b0314cc2bd05b9de3155a0fe/amazon-news.svg"},"parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Amazon","url":"https://www.amazon.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3884","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_(company)","https://x.com/Amazon"]}}}