Aqua, woody and floral notes of itr lingered in the air, weaving seamlessly with natural fragrances of the flowers lining the Sunder Nursery gardens during the Itr and Sugandhi Mela. The three-day festival, organised by Delhi Tourism, celebrated the traditional craft of perfumery, bringing together itr-makers and scent lovers to the heritage gardens.
Visitors were spotted trying on different itrs and perfumes
During the weekend before Eid, Delhiites who flocked to enjoy musical performances with the fragrant mist in the air. On day two of the fest, the Sabri Brothers presented a set of Sufi qawwalis like Chhap Tilak, Bhar Do Jholi and Rangreza. Jyoti Nooran, folk-pop ensemble Sadho Band and ghazal artiste Indira Naik also performed at the festival.
Try natural oil-based attars with mild notes to begin with
“People got to experience what natural attars smell like, breaking many myths about traditional fragrances. Many came looking for refreshing aromas,” said Ranjana Verma, part of Boond fragrances.
Tabak and Motiya attar made using degh bhapka method
Off-beat natural itrs that caught Delhi’s attention
- Tabak (Tobacco)
- Petrichor (The smell of first rain)
- Mehendi
- Lavender
- Marigold
‘Itrs are trending, people want to explore heritage perfumery’
With renewed appreciation for heritage taking place in every space, Indians are keen on exploring the rich heritage perfumery as well. Devika Gahlot, founder of Nirvana fragrances, says, “In the perfumery space, there’s an inclination to explore itrs. Even for premium fragrances, people ask for the oil version. Those interested in both, layer itr and perfumes of different scent notes and profiles, for better projection, sillage and longevity. I suggest people always go for natural, oil-based itrs with milder tones to begin with.”
A visitor was seen checking out leather bottles of attar, made to age the attar
“The mindset shift towards opting for clean, natural products have prompted us to find natural components like chyura butter, jojoba butter, annota seeds (for orange colour), alkanet (for lavender or olive green colour), blue pea flowers to make solid perfumes, soaps,” says Gunjan Bist, who runs a beauty wellness brand Tvaksutra.
‘There is a mindset shift towards opting for clean, natural products’
Students from the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre, Kannauj, were making perfumes and blends as per visitors’ choices. Tanmay, a volunteer, said that visitors came looking for natural scents – mostly sweet, fruity, citrusy scents like khus and mogra for summers.
Students from Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre, Kannauj, were seen making perfumes and blends on the spot
“I am obsessed with itrs, my current fave is mitti ki khushboo. It smells earthy,” said Sangeeta Yadav, a visitor.
Mapping the scents @ Sunder Nursery
Khus and mogra are popular scents during summers
