Attars or Itra come from spices, flowers, herbs, and natural materials, such as sandalwood oil, baked soil, or liquid paraffin. Traditionally prepared through the hydro distillation technique, the Mughal nobles were the first patrons of this product. Primarily, the attar is a botanical extract and widely used for making perfumes in the west. Therefore, the attar is a natural perfume, which does not contain alcohol. 

Getting started

The entire process of making attar involves extracting the scent and the essential oil from the botanical plant. Generally, the product extracted from the plants goes through the method of hydrodistillation, and it becomes attar within ten to twelve years. The key is to allow the compound to age after the process of distillation in a wooden base, such as sandalwood. The aging period can range for ten years to create the fragrance and aroma popularly known as attar. You must be familiar with the versatility and the essence of Kannauj Attar and understand its supremacy over chemical perfumes. 

Method of manufacturing attar

You will come across written records of the distillation method of manufacturing attar in the pages of history. The following provides a snapshot of the distillation process.

• Distillation is the method of separating liquid and vapor, containing two or more substances, and separated into different components with a purity grade through heat removal.
• During the distillation of aromatic botanical extracts, the process involves vaporizing and separating the oil from the plant call membranes in high temperature and moisture. Furthermore, the separation of oil and water takes place when the vapor mixture cools.

Basis of extraction of essential oils

The basis of the extraction of essential oil through the method of distillation involves the following principles.

• The sensitivity of the essential oil to water and heat.
• The oil that requires distillation must be volatile.
• The water solubility of oil

Hydro distillation method of manufacturing attar

The following are the things to know about the hydrodistillation method of manufacturing attar for those who prefer attar.

• Hydrodistillation is an ancient and the simplest method of obtaining essential oils from plants. 
• Usually, the small-scale manufacturers of essential oils preparing attar from essential oils use this method.
• In hydro distillation, the plant material becomes covered entirely, using water as suspension, which is present on the furnace.
• Water needs to boil in this process, and the essential oil carries over to the condenser with steam.
• The method of distillation is highly useful for the distillation of spices, powders, and comminuted herbs.
• The conventional method of Deg Bhapka in copper stills is the process of hydrodistillation. 

Deg Bhapka method

As far as the Deg Bhapka method is concerned, it is a popular and oldest method of manufacturing Indian Attar, such as jasmine, kewda khus, Kesar, and rose. It is one of the oldest methods of manufacturing attars and rooh in India. While rooh refers to the essential oil, the attar is the herb essence carried over to a fixative oil, primarily sandalwood oil. 

• In the Deg Bhapka method, the separation of fresh rose flowers and petals takes place.
• The rose petals are placed in degs or copper pots.
• The copper pot needs to be sealed with a mixture of cotton and clay.
• The deg or the copper pot stays connected to the Bhapka or the copper receiver and a water tank with the help of a bamboo pipe. 
• The condensation of the first distillate takes place after a few hours, and the liquid stays connected.
• The liquid is poured into an empty copper pot for distillation.
• The extraction of the attar takes place in the second distillation. 

Understanding the fragrance

Every wearer has a different choice of fragrance, and variations exist for women and men. Furthermore, some people wear scents based on the season. You will come across musky, spicy, and floral varieties to choose from when buying attar perfume of your choice. The product you get need not be applied to clothes, but on the second skin. 

All you need is a drop to fill to create an essence of the fragrance from botanical extracts. In the winter season, people prefer wearing warm attars, such as amber and saffron musk, as they synchronize with the body’s temperature. On the other hand, kewda, jasmine, rose, and khus provide a refreshing feeling during the summer. 

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