Tamil Nadu, a land steeped in spirituality and sensory richness, offers a captivating blend of religious fervor and aromatic experiences. Deeply ingrained in its culture and customs, Tamil Nadu has a rich history of fragrance. Aromatic flowers such as mullai and jasmine (mogra) are the main attraction; their essence is retained by methods handed down through the years. Tamil Nadu’s perfumery offers a distinctive fusion of history and craft, from the well-known sandalwood (chandan) to the unusual aromas of attars (oil-based perfumes).
When discussing perfumes in Tamil literature, we see that they are not limited to spiritual poetry, such as one by Andal,
The fragrance of the perfumed garlands,
Made of fresh, blooming flowers,
Spreads all around, carrying the divine scent.
As devotees offer them with love and devotion,
To adorn the feet of the Lord, In the early hours of dawn,
When the world is filled with a sense of peace and devotion,.
-an excerpt from the Thiruppavai by Andal,
But they were also included in popular literature from the ancient to the colonial periods. In the latter part of the colonial era, the “kaittozhil texts” of the Gujili literature gained popularity. These were 8–16-page “do it yourself” guides that contained instructions for everyday products
like oils, soap, herbal concoctions, tooth powders, etc. Among these is a guide on perfumery called “suganda parimala shastiram,” written in the early 1900s by Sirumanavur Munisami Mudaliyar.
(A beautifully designed ancient incense burner, source: Wikicommons)
THE SYMPHONY OF SCENTS: SUGANDA PARIMALA SHASTIRAM OR THE TREATISE OF PERFUME
The Treatise on Perfume is a valuable reference for a variety of fragrant goods, it was first published in 1907. This guidebook offers priceless insights into the perfumery practices that were common in colonial Tamil Nadu. There are recipes for snuffs, oils, medical rubs, powders, incense, and even drinks in the treatise. Suganda Parimala Shastiram does more than just provide recipes; it delves into the meaning of “perfume” in late colonial India’s cultural and olfactory context.
(The covers of Suganda Parimala Shastiram, First edition published in 1916 then in 1952, Source: Aditya Harchand on X (formerly twitter) )
Being a master of all crafts, Mudaliyar is said to be knowledgeable in both Unani and Siddha traditional medicine. His Treatise on Perfume, which combines unani techniques with a Tamil-scripted language of Perso-Arabic, demonstrates his varied knowledge. In contrast to the majority of South Asian perfumery texts, Mudaliyar’s work is easily understood by the general public. He presents procedures in plain language devoid of technical terms, making it simple to duplicate at home. The methods are presented in the treatise, which spreads in two volumes total comprising 72 pages as a useful chapbook for home use as opposed to one intended for use by perfumers in the industry.
Recipe for perfume mentioned in the Suganda Parimala Shastiram,
Translation:Agar Attar
Take 1 seer (approximately 280-330 grams) of agar wood and grind it. Then soak it in rose water for three days. After that, mix in a few tolas (a tola is an old Indian unit of weight, approximately 11.66 grams) of ambergris and 6 tolas of ground poppy seeds. Then, mix honey with rose water and add it to the mixture. Prepare the fragrance as mentioned earlier.
THE FRAGRANT HERITAGE OF TAMIL NADU: A LOOK AT TRADITIONAL PERFUMERY PRACTICES
The practice of wearing perfume tablets (attar pillais) as necklaces is an intriguing facet of South Asian fragrance. These tablets are commonly mixed with essential oils and resins, and are made from a base of fragrant substances such as agarwood or sandalwood. They can be shaped and sized to suit the desired outcome, and occasionally they are embellished with jewels or precious metals. With their “fragrant earth” name, these “Sugandhi Mitti” tablets, worn around the neck, provide a consistent and individualized fragrance sensation throughout the day.
The application of soluble scents is another interesting technique. Water-soluble materials such as rose water and musk are used to create these aromatic mixtures. The body can be scented delicately by applying them straight to the skin or even by adding them to bathwater. These soluble fragrances’ transient quality gives the smell sensation an extra degree of closeness. Other items mentioned also include incense sticks, scented powders and pastes, Perfumed artificial flowers and garlands for religious and cultural perfumery practices.
The Suganda Parimala Shastiram also featured recipes for betel and fragrant chewing tobacco. It has long been customary in South Asian civilizations, especially in India, to chew tobacco and betel, also called paan. It’s possible that aromatic ingredients were added to these in order to improve flavor and sensory appeal. Typically, betel leaf, areca nut, and tobacco are included in betel quid, along with a variety of spices or sweets. Ingredients like cardamom, cloves, or other aromatic spices could have been added as aromatics. This method created a multimodal experience by combining the stimulating properties of areca nut and tobacco with pleasant scents.
(Beetle leaf and nuts, source: wikicommons)
Perfumes were thought to have therapeutic benefits in the treatise. First, they were used as purgatives to help the body be cleansed. With the addition of certain spices, these recipes could achieve a pleasing fusion of disparate elements. One such ingredient mentioned in Suganda Parimala Shastiram is sandalwood (Chandan), which is used for its aromatic qualities and may also have therapeutic uses, including releasing a pleasing scent and inducing diarrhea to help with purging. Along with sandal, we also have the mention of Punugu (civet musk), a vaseline-like paste that is beneficial in the treatment of heat rashes, pimples, and insect bites.
( A bottle of pure civet musk, a valuable ingredient in traditional perfume making, also mentioned in Suganda Parimala Shastiram, source: Google Photos)
COLONIAL INFLUENCE ON NATIVE PERFUMERY AND ITS PRODUCTION
In contrast to alcohol-based fragrances in the West that disappear completely onto the skin, South Asian aromatics and perfumes have long been prized for “their visual, tactile, and other sensible qualities.” In South Asian culture, aromatics such as musk, camphor, and saffron were “especially valued because of their visual impact,” as James McHugh says. However, the development of marine trade routes and colonial expansion promoted the cross-continental exchange of components and techniques for making perfumes, which led to changes in the native art of perfume making.
In areas rich in fragrant resources, such as the Caribbean, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa, European powers like Portugal, Spain, France, and subsequently England, built colonies. These colonies developed into centers for the production and extraction of fragrant resources, such as wood, flowers, and spices, which were then shipped to Europe for use in perfumery.
If we look past the Suganda Parimala Shastiram, we can find more indigenous writings that describe the commercial perfume industry and its worth in colonial South India. The Jabita (The Inventory) was released in 1910 by T.A. Rahman & Sons, a Madras-based perfume manufacturer. Important insights into historical commercial fragrance practices are offered by this native text. It functioned as a catalog, revealing their shop’s new location in Chennai today. Their selection of attars (fragrance oils) and other scented products was thoroughly described in the text. It shows how skilled perfumers merchandised their products throughout the colonial era. The definition and marketing of perfume to the wealthy are also made clearer by The Jabita.
The Jabita further points out that a more extreme adaptation to Western influences is exemplified by H. Bose of Calcutta. Bose, who won a gold medal at the Madras Industrial and Arts Exhibition (1903–1905), was commended for his initiative in traveling to England and other parts of continental Europe to pursue the colonial methodology of perfume making. His range of products, which included fragrances like Eau-de-cologne, Musk-Lavender, and Lily, was obviously influenced by European perfumery techniques. Bose’s clientele included people from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and even the United States, demonstrating the international reach that colonial ties might offer Indian business people. His success went beyond India.
Colonialism has an impact on business practices as well. The Jabita and other comprehensive inventories were published, signifying the adoption of Western-style documentation and marketing techniques. Yet there was continuity amidst this changing colonial air on fragrances The persistence of traditional items like scented powders, scented chewing tobacco, and attar pillais (tablets of perfumed oil) shows that Indians’ love of fragrances has not faded. The frequent use of perfumes in sacred places like temples, monasteries, and mazaars is evidence of the long history of fragrance use in Indian civilization.
(The process and tools for distilling sandalwood and agarwood for making itr are shown in 1873 urdu manual from Madras; source: The Wire.)
Thus, the next time you breathe in the enticing itar of jasmine, sandal, cinnamon, or clove, stop and consider the native methods that brought these wonderful treasures to your door. Every fragrant note conveys the echoes of a story—a story of discovery, native culture, trade, and the timeless power of fragrance. The history of perfumery, from the ancient spice caravans to the contemporary clear glass bottles, bears witness to the lasting influence of cultural practices and their profound impact on our sense of smell.
REFERENCES
James McHugh, “Seeing Scents: Methodological Reflections on the Intersensory Perception of Aromatics in South Asian Religions,” History of Religions 51 (2), November 2011: 157.
Mehra, K. L., et al. “Folk Uses of Plants for Adornment in India.” Economic Botany, vol. 29, no. 1, 1975, pp. 39–46. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4253562. Accessed 21 July 2024.
“Perfumes For The People: Snuffs, Sharbats and Home Remedies in Tamil Nadu. Aditya Harchand ” Histories of Indian Perfume, vol. 75, no. 2, pp. 86–93.
T.A. Rahman & Sons, Intu tesattin vasanai tiraviyangal, attargal, vattigal mudalanavaigalin vivarangalaik kuritta Jabita (Madras, 1910). The full title of the text translates to The Inventory on Perfumes, Attars, Incense Sticks, Etc., in the Hindu Country.
