Millennia-old itra tradition hit by gutka ban

Written By Unknown on Senin, 03 Maret 2014 | 22.10

NEW DELHI: A 5,000-year-old tradition is suffering a setback as sale of itra or attar, the nonalcoholic fragrance extracted from plant parts, has gone downhill, interestingly, due to a ban on tobacco products.

"The tobacco industry accounts for about 50-60 % of the demand for itra as flavour. Hencethe gutka ban hasledto a nearly 50%declinein saleof the naturally derived products," said Gyanendra Singh, officerin-charge, fragrance and flavour division, Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre, Kannauj.

The alchemy of distilling flowers and other botanical partsin sandalwoodoilor other base materials like paraffin to derive natural fragrances dates back to the Mughal era when kings and queens developed a fetish for fragrance. The origin can be traced back to Kannauj in Uttar Pradeshwhichwas aptly nicknamedthe perfumecapital of the country. The practice continues there along with Hasain in UP and Ganjam in Odisha being the other hotspots.

A three-day festival called 'Itra and Sugandhi Mela' to breathelifeintothis ancient art cameto a closeon Sunday atDilli Haat, Pitampura. Rose, kewra, mitti were among some of the most exotic fragrances on display and sale at the fourth edition of thefestivalorganized by Delhi Tourism in technical collaboration with FFDC. Around 40 stalls were erected by perfumers. Vials that looked rightoutof a periodfilm andfilledwith potionsthatsmelled refreshingly pristine were lined up for the crowds to adore.

The festival also featured live demonstrations of perfume, gulkand and agarbatti making, lectures on aromatherapy, and quiz and slogan competitions to raise awareness. "The aromatherapy sessions were revelatory about the medicinal value of these aromas to a section of the public which doesn't really go to spas," said Sudhir Sobti, chief manager (PR), Delhi Tourism.

"The sale of synthetic perfumes is more than that of natural itras this year," lamented Chetan Jain of Paras Aromatics.Butthereis reason for hope. "Aromatherapy and herbal treatments in spas have brought itras back into the picture," said S V Shukla, director, FFDC."They have also retained a market in Gulf countries where non-alcoholic fragrances are preferred." Itras or their synthetic counterparts called sugandhis also find an indispensable role as flavours in food products.


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