Ittra aur Lucknow
Woh Ittra-daan Sa Lehja Mere Buzurgo Ka,
Rachi Basi Hui Urdu Zabaan Ki Khushbu – Bashir Badr
Many people on the occasion of Eid are making it a fragranced affair using ‘ittra’. The word ‘ittra’ has an Arabic origin and it is basically natural perfume oil derived from botanical resources. Lucknow is among the major centres of the ittra in the country for production and promotion, while a nearby place Kannauj is popular as major production centre. While walking in the Chowk area, you would be hit by the fragrance of ittra from the ittra shops. Mr. Furqan from Moid Ali and Son’s Perfumers spoke to us about the art of ittra making. The natural perfume oil is generally derived from herbs, flowers, woods etc by the process of hydro and steam distillation. Since it is taken from natural resources, ittra never goes bad. Facing tough competition from the chemically created fragrances and perfumes, ittra still remains as the exquisite form of fragrance. It is believed by some that the natural aroma of ittra can help a person cope with stress, anxiety and depression. There are varieties of fragrances that one can choose from like khus, gulab, jannatul firdaus, shamamtul ambar, kewda, mitti, genda, gul heena, rajnigandha, chameli, gulmohar, juhi, sandal, mogra, firangipani, majmua, muskambar, etc. Lucknow maintains its strong position in ittra production and retail. There have been fragrances named after Lucknow like ‘shaan-e awadh’ to represent the delicacy and richness of the city !
It is believed that ittra became popular in India during the Mughal patronage. For instance, ittra of roses is said to have been invented by the empress Nur-Jahan on her marriage with Jahangir. It was thereafter known as ittra-i-jahangiri. Even in Ain-i-Akbari, the use of ittra by Akbar has been mentioned. It is believed that the jasmine ittra was the favourite perfume of the Nizams of Hyderabad. Nawabs of Awadh also promoted the ittra in various fragrances ! Traditionally ittra is kept in beautiful ‘ittra-daan’ made out of crystal or glass. So on this festive season relive the tradition by gifting ittra to your dear ones !
Da’wa Zabaan Ka Lucknow Walo Ke Saamne,
Izhaar Boo-e Mushq Ghazaalo Ke Saamne – Ameer Minai Lucknawi
{ Da’wa – Claim, Boo – Fragrance, Mushq – Musk, Ghazaal – Child of Deer }
Credit : Intern – Nishita Banerjee