|
|
the-south-asian.com May/June 2003 |
||||
|
May/June 2003 The
Flourishing Fake Art Pico
Iyer - a global Sarla
Thakral - India's 1st Technology Pakistan's
IT Markets
'Tehri
Lakeer' by Ismat 'Romance
of Mango' by
'Ittar'
- the oldest shop Real Issues The
Real Hindutva vs
Lehngas - a limited collection Books
|
|
||||
|
The Oldest 'Ittar' Shop by Sanjay Austa
Gulab Singh Johrimal Ittarwale the old curiosity shop selling Indian perfumes has been drawing discerning customers for the past 187 years--from the time of the last Mughals to the present day connoisseurs. It is easy to get lost in the congested, grubby and labyrinthine by-lanes of Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. Here, it seems, time stopped somewhere in the medieval ages. There’s neither hurry nor urgency. People set their own languorous pace. But in these congested surroundings there is one place that doesn’t take too long to locate. One is virtually led by one’s nose to the Gulabsingh Johrimal Ittar [perfume] shop. The aroma of exotic perfumes wafts through the narrow and crammed alley of Dariba Kalan where the shop is located. This old curiosity shop has been drawing hordes of customers for the past 187 years - from the time of the last Mughals to the present day connoisseurs. Established in 1816, the shop has tantalized the olfactory nerves of generations much before synthetic perfumes began trickling in from the West and took over in popularity and demand. But Gulabsingh Johrimal has stood the test of time and competition and even today is the most well stocked ittar shop in the country. It is said that during the reign of Akbar Shah II, the nobility, including the nawabs, rajas, landlords and subedars, sat for hours with Gulabh Singh, the man who started the business and after whom the shop is named, delicately sniffing and selecting their ittars. Cut-glass decanters of exotic perfumes were sent to the inner sanctums of the Mughal queens and princesses and other purdah-clad women to sample and select their favourite fragrances. It was also said that the daughters of Akbar Shah II used to come to the shop in palanquins to buy the ittar of their choice. Today Gulabh Singh’s seventh generation runs the shop. Though over the years the synthetic spray perfumes have severely dented the ittar trade, the descendants maintain that those who love the traditional stuff continue to come to their shop. Besides being absolutely free of alcohol and spirit they are made from natural materials. The main problem facing the ittar trade is the scarcity of sandalwood oil. ``It is becoming increasingly difficult to procure sandalwood oil and consequently its price has been shooting up every year. As a result we are forced to increase the price of ittar," says Mukul Gandhi who runs the shop with his brothers, cousins and uncles. According to Gandhi they are the only ones who continue to use pure sandalwood oil for its natural aroma." Other people have switched to cheaper and easily available mustard oil. But that does not produce pure ittar and a connoisseur can easily tell the difference." He explains that their use of sandalwood is what makes their ittar more expensive. "This is the purest form you can get’’, he claims. He says they can make just enough for some of their old customers. If the demand increases they would not be able to meet it because of the lack of sandalwood oil. Even now, the process of making ittar is as complicated and delicate as it was in the olden days. Fresh flowers have to be plucked at dawn and used before sunrise---as fragrances begin to diminish after sunrise. The flowers are found in different locations in India.. For Ruh Gulabh, flowers are grown in in Sikatra and Ghazipur (both in U.P.). For Chemeli and Motia, flowers are procured from Sikandarpur and some villages in Varanasi. Gulabsingh Johrimal has distillation units in all these places. Ruh Gulab is the most expensive ittar priced higher than gold in weight. A 10 gram vial can set one back by Rs. 6,400. Explains Gandhi, "For one kilo of Ruh Gulab we need approximately 5,000 kilos of fresh flowers." There is an ittar for every season. For example, Ruh Khas purportedly acts as an antidote to the summer heat. It sells at about Rs. 440 rupees for 10 grams. Other popular varieties are Motia, Champa and Chemali. Most aromatherapists use ittar to relax stressed out souls. Most of the present day customers of this shop are those who love the exotic smell that ittar emits. Gandhi confesses that though Hindus do come occasionally but most of his customers are Muslim. That’s because they traditionally know the true appeal of the ittar. Many come from different parts of India. The shop also has a dedicated NRI clientele. But the owners admit the trade is not as good as it should be. Only if sandalwood oil is freely available will their business pick up once again. Meanwhile they have diversified into other products like incense sticks from which they are getting a better turnover. Gulabsingh Johrimal ittar shop harks back to the time when the perfume was commonly used. Romantic literature is replete with the important role ittar played in love stories. Poets like Mirza Ghalib were said to sprinkle ittar before meeting their beloved. Abul Fazal’s Aain-e-Akbari has mention of Emperor Akbar’s love for the fragrance of Ruh Gulab. A royal toilet was incomplete without ittar. Those romantic days may be gone but the fragrance and romance of ittar still lingers in this old curiosity shop in the crowded bylanes of Delhi’s Chandni Chowk.
***** |
|||||
| Copyright © 2000 - 2003 [the-south-asian.com]. Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. | |||||
| Home | |||||
