In a world that is obsessed with artificial beauty and cosmetics, this blog explores the humble, age-old traditional ‘Attar’. Its ability to lure or ward off good or bad, to entice and appease, and to aid a healthy body and mind is purely amazing. For those of you who don't know the meaning of ‘Attar’, it means ‘Fragrance’ that makes you stand out from the crowd.

Fragrant beginnings

The art of making perfume was learned quite early in the Indian subcontinent, and its knowledge was passed down from generation to generation amongst a selected few. It has advanced now but its essence is still intact. Since the Vedic times, the yajna has played a significant role in Hindu praying rituals. The yajna would consume the offerings, releasing a fragrant smoke that would reach high into the sky, to the gods.

Process

Unlike the alcohol-based attars that are available in the market today, attars were originally pure and natural in form as they were initially made according to a religious and spiritual point of view.
A good quality attar is made from raw materials like flowers through the process of distillation. These attars are ideally stored in air-tight glass bottles.
A whiff of luxury
Attar was always considered an item of luxury; some of them were known to be very expensive and difficult to make. Earlier, Attars were used by royalty and were considered to be a status symbol. They were sold in fancy attar bottles to keep the fragrance intact for a longer period of time which was also beneficial for the environment.

The need for a fancy Attar bottle

Amongst royal households, there existed the practice of storing Attar in containers known as fancy Attar bottle Daan. To avoid mixing up different attars and to keep the entire process convenient, a provision was made to keep the Attars for the different seasons separate. These Attar Daans could be of crystal-cut glass, regular glass, or even silver. Since the regular glass is more affordable to the common people, attars now come in ‘fancy attar bottles.’
These fancy attar bottles come in different sizes. These glass bottles often come in a pack. The boxes neatly secure the fancy attar bottles, to avoid any mishaps or shaking of the perfumes.

The ‘Good’ Scents loaded with value

Attar is known to have spiritual significance along with tremendous medicinal importance. Due to its non-alcoholic, chemical, and toxin-free preparation, the nature-based Fancy Attar bottle is used in health-related treatments. Health issues such as headaches, body pain, nausea, and others can be treated with applications of Attar, mixed with essential oils.
Attars are prepared according to the seasons. In summers, one needs a pleasant and breezy aroma. Attars made for summers are extremely mild in fragrance and are soothing to the skin. These attars help ease health-related issues like nausea and skin allergies that are peculiar to summers.

In monsoons, one needs a refreshing scent. Attar prepared for monsoon time are known to cure mild fevers, open wounds, distress, joint pains, and swollen muscles. Come winters and a hoard of health-related issues emerge, with a sudden drop in atmospheric temperature. Cold, cough, and headaches are common ailments; the winter special Attars work like a medicine.
Since the attars produced have a number of health benefits, they are kept in glass bottles to keep them free of any adulterations. Equally rare and precious, an item of luxury that was earlier used by royals is now available at ‘Nirmalaya.’ Its sourcing technique makes it so precious.

Considered sacred, and very auspicious, Attars are a boon from nature to help ease the troubles of life. Nirmalaya, a homegrown brand with its vision to make our country free of temple waste by recycling and making it into something magical, has introduced soulful attars. These aromatic attars are stored in fancy glass bottles so that their essence doesn’t get lost. The small size of Nirmalaya’s fancy attar bottle makes it highly portable and convenient; it could be easily closed and carried along!

Deos or Attars: This or that?

The new world has largely lost touch with its former self. While the Attar business continues to steadily grow, and yet retain its true essence; one of closeness to nature and purity, its patrons are often limited to a selected few. In a time, when the market is flooded with alcohol-based and chemically produced ‘Deos’ and ‘Perfumes’, Nirmalaya’s attars are a relief. Not only are they soft to the skin, but they are also known to be highly beneficial. The value-loaded Attars at Nirmalaya is a winner no doubt.

The Goodness of Nature in a Fancy Attar Bottle