Scent of a nation : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

Scent of a nation

Like food and music, fragrance has been a great binding factor, dissolving all boundaries of creed and religion.

Scent of a nation

Vedic paraphernalia — incense stick, attar and sandalwood powder.



Krishnaraj Iyengar 

Like food and music, fragrance has been a great binding factor, dissolving all boundaries of creed and religion. At the heart of India’s mind-boggling maze of diversity lies nature’s endearing and graceful canopy of unity — fragrance — under which members of all faiths unite to revel in a purely spiritual experience! India is the land of natural scents and her woods, flowers and resins find place in almost all houses of worship and are revered by worshippers from all religions as mediums of divine connection. 

Oils for all

“Sandalwood and agar or oud as the Arabs call it, can be traced back to the Vedas. They are mentioned in the Ashtagandh or treasure house of eight fragrant natural ingredients. Our natural extracts of flowers and woods have been cherished by members of all faiths, right from the nawabs and maharajas to maulanas and mahants for more than two centuries.  Our perfumery is where a Hindu and a Muslim will sit side-by-side and soak the spirit in the bliss of one and the same natural fragrance,” says Krishan Mohan Singh, one of India’s seniormost traditional perfumers of the legendary 200-year-old Gulabsingh Johrimal perfumery in Delhi.

According to the veteran, while sandalwood is sacred to Hindus and members of other Indic religions, agar is sacred to both Hindus and Muslims who consider its usage as ‘Sunnah’. Many Krishna worshippers offer agar oil to the idol.

“Ruh gulab or pure rose distillate extract is often offered at the dargahs of venerated Sufi saints as is in the temple of Shyam Baba, an avatar of Krishna, in Rajasthan. It is also offered to the Rumala Sahib in gurdwaras. Jasmine also draws souls and is preferred by members of various religions,” he states.

Incense offerings 

Incense, in its myriad forms, has been central to cultures and faiths across the world. In India, agar and sandalwood chips, resins and powders have been burnt as incense for rituals and even to perfume homes and places of worship. Agarbattis and dhoops are lit in nearly all houses of worship in India. Even in the households of various communities, a daily incense ritual is customary. 

While Muslim customers of the staunchly Hindu Gulabsingh Johrimal have the dargah priest pray over their musk rose incense, renowned incense artisan and exporter, Guru Acharya of Nandita Fragrances, a Kannada Brahmin, creates bakhoor or traditional Arabic style incense that devout Arab Muslims of the Middle East enjoy.

“In the Islamic Republic of Iran, my dashangam dhoop is a huge success. Reminiscent of the sanctorums of ancient Hindu temples, dashangam’s earthy, spicy, herbasceous aromas emerging from an age-old formula seem to charm them. I would say fragrance is truly universal,” smiles Acharya.  He says sandalwood tops the list of sacred scents. He has members of all faiths asking for his sandalwood agarbattis. 

Resins are also an integral part of Indian spirituality. Frankincense, though associated with the Abrahamic religions, is also a part of the Indian liturgy and is offered to the female deity in some parts of the country. Benzoin, popularly known as loban, is central to Zoroastrian worship and is also preferred by many Hindus and Muslims alike as a spiritually elevating fragrance. It is also a part of Christian church services. Pure sandalwood is also offered to the sacred fire in the Zoroastrian fire temples as is, in the Hindu agnihotra havans.

Why’s agar indispensable?

Any mention of ‘spiritual fragrances’ is incomplete without agar or oud. Mentioned as agar in the ancient Hindu classical texts and oud in the Islamic Hadith as a fragrance with incredibly spiritual and healing properties, this enigmatic aroma is today sought after by people from all faiths as a universal healer.

One of the world’s most renowned agar distillers is Tajul Islam Bakshi of Assam Aromas. It is in his state that the world’s finest agar reserves are found. Extracted from the Aquilaria Agalocha tree species, both the wood and the oil are considered holy. 

Apart from its usage in exotic Arabic and now western perfumery, its spiritual and medicinal uses continue being researched. “Agar is God’s own perfume! No human can claim right over it. While many Hindus buy it to offer their deities in ancient temples, many Muslims as incense, I also find Zoroastrians employing it for liturgical purposes. Many of my Christian and Jewish clients consider agar a spiritual healer and meditate amid its fragrance. Agar is humanity’s greatest binder,” says the passionate maverick.

In an era of synthetic materials, Bakshi is the first artisan to revive the original agarbatti, which was once an incense stick made of pure agar powder. These are the favourite meditation tool of agar aficionados the world over.

Top News

Arvind Kejriwal to be produced before Delhi court today as 6-day ED custody ends

Excise policy case: Delhi court extends ED custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1

In his submissions, Kejriwal said, ‘I am named by 4 witnesse...

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

The bench refuses to comment on merits of the issue, saying ...

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

MEA spokesperson says India is proud of its independent and ...

Bullying Congress culture, no wonder being rejected: PM Modi, backs senior lawyers who flagged attempts to undermine public trust in judiciary

Bullying Congress culture, no wonder being rejected: PM Modi

Backs senior lawyers who flagged attempts to undermine publi...

Explainer: Why BJP is flying solo in Punjab and Odisha

Explainer: Why BJP is flying solo in Punjab and Odisha

A multi-cornered contest is always advantageous for BJP; it ...


Cities

View All