India is well known for Attar making since ancient times. All Indian Kings ( RAJA in Hindi ) were the fan of these Attars. By and by the Mughals arrive in Indian around 1500s and found these Attars very precious and loving. They used these attars during The Great Bath ( Hamama in Urdu ). The Attar of Roses (sometimes called ‘Ruh Gulab’ ) is invented by the wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, named “Noorjahan”. After that all places where the Rose were found like Kannauj started production of Rose Attar based into Sandalwood oil. By and by they started applying many flowers available in native area like Bela (Jasminum Sambac), Chameli ( Jasminum Grandiflorum) , Bakul (Mimusops Elengi), Kadam (Anthocephalus cadamba), Champa (Michelia Champaca) and Kewra (Pandanus odoratissimus) etc. into pure sandalwood oil.
The process of attar making is quite simple for any expert worker of Kannauj. They are enjoying developing beautiful natural scents. The flower market, sandalwood oil extraction and distillation is running everywhere in Kannauj District of Uttar Pradesh State, India. It is very famous for making attars,blends and distillation of true Sandalwood Oil (East Indian Santalum Album). The production of Attar’s major ingredient sandalwood was stopped due to the scarcity of wood and government ban over distillation of the same but now,by and by the supply of Sandalwood Oil is being steady and government started the auctions of Sandalwood for further distillation. Government also issue the manufacturing certificate to many of the Sandalwood Oil distilleries of Kannauj City which boosted the production and decrease the cost of Attars a bit.
In India, especially in Kannauj City, Attars are still made by using the ancient process to protect the naturalness and tradition of India’s attar business. The Attars are basically used in Tobacco, Sweets, Skin care and many other things in India. Some good venture of life style companies also increase the demand of attars as natural perfume and as the major ingredient in their luxury products.
Best buying practice demand to get the all details about the Attar, Manufacturing Process, Background of the distiller and Exports reputation in the market. Some of the traders are making attars by just blending the flower oil in sandalwood and sell as pure attar which is one of the worst practice of attar making because when one blend two oils , it will become blend , not attar. Attars can only be developed by using Hydro Distillation of flowers into Sandalwood Oil and they can not be cheap.