Scents of Time: Kolkata’s Oldest Attar Shop Still Bottles the Essence of Awadh

On the winding lanes of Kolkata's Burrabazar, Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh Perfume is the city's oldest attar shop, established in 1824 when the founder moved from Lucknow. As the eighth generation is continuing the tradition, the shop's history cannot be disentangled from the attar's cultural journey—from the Nawabi courts of Awadh to the very core of Bengal.

 

Key Highlights:

 

•⁠  ⁠Awadhi Origins: Haji Khuda Bakhsh Nabi Bakhsh opened the shop, migrating to Kolkata amidst political disturbances in Lucknow. The movement, apart from carrying people, carried with it the culturally developed tradition of attar-making, combining Lucknow's Nawabi tradition and Kolkata's mercantile vigour.

 

•⁠  ⁠Historic Clientele: The shop's scent has been sanctified by legendary names—Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, and Kazi Nazrul Islam were regular customers, each with his own choice of perfumes like rose and rajnigandha.

 

•⁠  ⁠Craft and Continuity: Attars remain intact in beautifully ornamented decanters and manufactured in traditional hubs such as Kannauj and Lucknow before reaching the shelves in Kolkata. The store has a fragrance for every mood and season, from ₹50 to ₹4,000.

 

•⁠  ⁠Cultural Synthesis: Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's arrival in Bengal also made attar culture popular, blending Awadhi sophistication with Bengali sensibilities and incorporating attar into Kolkata's cultural life.

 

Prospects: As the city develops, Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh Perfume is a fragrant reminder of Kolkata's multicultural past. Its enduring popularity is because it has the power to evolve and stay true to the spirit of Awadhi tradition—a living reminder of the city's enduring love of perfume.

 

Source: The Telegraph India, ETV Bharat, LBB, Travel + Leisure Asia