M.L. Ramnarain Perfumers
Founded 1970
A family firm in Kannauj, India's old perfume town on the Ganges, that distils attars, ruh and Indian essential oils. The family says it has been in the trade for five generations, and the current firm dates from 1970. National Geographic visited its distillery, where Pranjal Kapoor, the fifth-generation partner, still makes attars in copper stills.
Hours and prices change, so check with the shop before you go.
Attars from the copper stills of Kannauj
M.L. Ramnarain Perfumers is a family firm in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, which it calls the perfume capital of India. The family says it has distilled essential oils, attars and floral extracts for five generations, and the current firm was founded in 1970. In December 2020 National Geographic described its factory as one of the traditional distillers still operating in Kannauj, and named Pranjal Kapoor as the fifth-generation partner.
The firm makes attars the old way, known locally as degh-bhapka: copper stills are heated by wood and cow dung fires, and the steam is led into a pot of sandalwood oil. Its distillery is an open-air stone courtyard with no gauges, meters or electricity. Shamama, Kannauj's signature attar, blends native herbs, spices and resins and takes several weeks per batch. Most sales are in India, and the firm exports essential oils to Europe and attars to the Gulf.
There is no shop of its own with published opening hours. Its head office is at Hari Aromas, Mohalla Budhwari, Kannauj; call 05694-234750 before you visit. National Geographic points visitors to Bara Bazaar, the main market, where shops sell attar and ruh, and notes the town is a four-hour drive from Agra. Online, 2.5 g of Attar Gulab costs Rs 1,499. Try Attar Mitti first: it smells of earth after rain, a scent that comes from baked clay in the still.
- Attar MittiThe smell of wet earth when a sudden heavy shower ends a long dry spell.
- ShamamaKannauj's signature attar, a guarded family recipe of native herbs, spices and resins co-distilled over several weeks.
- Attar MotiaBela flowers from Kannauj infused into Indian sandalwood oil, warm and hay-like at first, creamy and woody later.
- Attar GulabDamask and Bourbon roses co-distilled the traditional way, fresh like morning dew, settling into sandalwood.
- Ruh GulabPure rose oil, sold as flower to oil with nothing added.
Sources (7)
Where to buy
- Online at attarsindia.com
- Head office, Hari Aromas, Mohalla Budhwari, Kannauj 209725