Rainwater flows down a roof.
These bacteria are the main contributors to the distinct earthly smell.
Kannauj lies on the banks of River Ganges, between the cities of Agra and Lucknow.
Kannaujs perfumes were famous among Mughal Emperors who ruled India for nearly 300 years.
The flowers are mixed with water and heated in large copper vats calleddegs.
A workers attends to the large distillation vats called degs.
Kannaujs most remarkable product ismitti attar,or earths perfume.
It takes six to seven hours before all of the aroma is steamed out of the clay.
Most customers prefer modern perfume and deodorants.
When a good deodorant can do the same job for you, why spend so much on attar?
asks Nishish Tewari, who owns a perfume shop in Kannauj.
Flowers, like these jasmine buds, have to be picked by hand before sunrise.
Their essence must be extracted the same day.
Another problem is the lack of standards.
Kannaujs perfumers employ no modern machinery during the manufacturing process.
To survive in the world market, it is necessary to have quality standards.
Their standardization is essential to leave a fragrance in the world market, says perfume seller Gaurav Malhotra.
Workers empty petals into large vats for distillation.
We brush our teeth with flavoured toothpaste, bathe with a scented soap and then apply perfume.
Fragrances will not go out of our lives.
Its just a question of whether we want to keep our traditions alive.
That is the real challenge.
Want to try outmitti attar?
You canorder online here.
Camel skin perfume bottles from Kannauj, where the perfume is aged.
Photo:David Prasad/Wikimedia Commons
