Kannauj Perfume

Kannauj Perfume, also known as Kannauj Ittar, is a traditional Indian perfume manufacture. The perfume production is popular in Kannauj, in the Uttar Pradesh state, India.

Kannauj Perfume
Geographical indication
Camel skin perfume bottles from Kannauj. The bottles are for aging the perfume.
Alternative namesIttar
DescriptionKannauj Perfume in Uttar Pradesh
TypeManufactured
AreaKannauj, Uttar Pradesh
CountryIndia
Registered2013–2014
MaterialFlowers, herbs, spices

It has been protected under the Geographical indication (GI) of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. It is listed at item 157 as "Kannauj Perfume" of the GI Act 1999 of the Government of India with registration confirmed by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks.[1]

Kannauj perfume has a long historical background and Kannauj had perfume trading for thousands of years. Due to the key role of perfume production in Kannauj, the city is known as "the perfume capital of India" and "Kannauj is to India what Grasse is to France".[2][3] An expert in the region says, "Kannauj has been the perfumery town of the country for thousands of years".[4]

The attar manufacture skill passed through generation to generation. When a craftsman explains about their family involvement in this industry, he says "My family has been working in this field since three centuries and my son is the 30th generation".

They make from flowers and natural resources. Also musk, camphor, saffron and other aromatic substances are used for production. Flower like white jasmine and plant like vetiver use for summer varieties while soil uses for monsoon variety, known as Mitti attar that gives the scent of wet earth. Heena attar and musk attar are winter varieties.[5]

The natural perfume is free of alcohol and chemical, except for some productions. Fragrant attar from rose has more smell while attar that made from sandalwood oil has lasting smell. Normally for production a small bottle of scent, it needs about 15 days.[6]

Kannauj perfume has local and international markets and about 20 companies export to foreign countries such as UK, USA, Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Singapore, France, Oman, Qatar, etc.[7]

See also
  • List of Geographical Indications in India
  • Ittar

References
  1. "State Wise Registration Details Of G.I Applications" (PDF). Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  2. "Geographical Indications tag for Nagpur orange, Kannauj perfume". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  3. Brand Building and Marketing in Key Emerging Markets: A Practitioner's Guide to Successful Brand Growth in China, India, Russia and Brazil. Springer. 2015. p. 405. ISBN 978-3-319-19482-0.
  4. "Life: India's perfume capital threatened by scent of modernity". The Taipei Times. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  5. "The great Indian Tadka". The Daily Pioneer. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  6. "Fading fragrance of Kannauj, India's perfume capital". Travel CNN. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  7. "Attar losing fragrance in Kannauj, perfurmers unhappy with Yadav clan". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
Bibliography
  • Report on the marketing of sandalwood oil in India. Directorate of Marketing & Inspection, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India. 1986. p. 141.
  • Vashist, V. N. (1978). The Essential Oil and Perfumery Industry in North India. Essential Oil Association of India. p. 63.
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