Image Source: Local Samosa
Key Highlights
Step through the portals of Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh, and you step into not just a store but a living history of the scents of Kolkata. Established in 1824 and now managed by the eighth generation of Bukhshs, this fabled attar shop in Maulana Shaukat Ali Street is a survivor of colonial unrest, Partition, and the advent of multinational perfume chain stores—still a scented lodestone of the city's cultural heritage.
• A Legacy Based on Tradition
The Bukhsh family lineage goes back to Lucknow's Hazratganj and Aminabad, where the Bukhsh forebears were famous attar-sellers. Through British rule, they shifted to Kolkata and became the city's first attar-wallahs, catering to Bengal aristocracy and exporting to Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
The simple, single-room layout of the shop is dominated by glass containers of attar, Quranic verse on the walls, and a wooden chair occupied by the current caretaker, Neyazuddin Allah Bukhsh—typically entertaining guests with stories of his forebears and famous visitors like Motilal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Maulana Azad.
• The Art and Science of Attar
Attar production here is a painstaking, handmade process: fresh flowers are harvested and distilled for days over wood fires, the oil collected in clay receivers and matured in leather bottles. Timing and burn control are critical, each second deciding the quality of the scent.
The line features timeless fragrances such as shamama, musk amber, rajnigandha, bela, and chameli. The bottles are hand-blended, alcohol-free, and valued for their longevity—long-lasting on skin and clothing hours after most contemporary perfumes.
A Timeless Appeal Despite the presence of cheap foreign perfumes, Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh thrives on its commitment to authenticity, quality, and heritage. Attar here is not a commodity; it's an art, a mood lifter, and a cultural bridge, cherished by generations of Kolkatans as well as tourists.
Sources: Indian Express, IndiaMART, Bukhsh Perfumers, Local Samosa
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