Four Centuries of Kannauj Distillation

What Makes an Attar Different

An attar is made by hydro-distilling flowers, herbs, spices or resins directly into a receiving base — classically sandalwood oil. The aromatic vapour condenses into the base over many hours, so the two are married during distillation rather than mixed afterwards. That is the whole distinction, and it is why an attar smells rounder and deeper than the same botanical blended into a carrier.

AttarBotanical hydro-distilled into a sandalwood or other oil base. Alcohol-free. Matures with age.

RuhThe neat distilled oil with no base at all — Ruh Gulab, Ruh Khus. Far more concentrated and more expensive.

Perfume oilA finished aroma composition blended into a neutral carrier. May contain aroma chemicals. Not a distillation product.

Why it mattersIf your specification says attar but your price expectation matches a perfume oil, one of the two needs to change. We will tell you which rather than supplying the cheaper thing under the better name.

The Deg and Bhapka Method

The traditional apparatus is a copper still (deg) connected by a bamboo pipe to a receiver (bhapka) submerged in a water tank for cooling. The base oil goes into the receiver, and the distiller judges the run by touching the receiver to feel its temperature — no gauges. A single batch can take days, and the same base is often re-charged with fresh flowers repeatedly to build concentration.

We run both traditional deg-bhapka batches and modern stainless steel distillation depending on the material and the volume, and the method used is stated on the specification. Process background: distillation of essential oil.

Attar Families in the Catalogue

EarthPetrichor — the smell of first rain on dry soil, distilled from baked clay. Mitti Attar, Earth Soil Attar.

Hina & ShamamaComplex herbal-spice compositions matured over months; the most technically demanding attars to make. Hina Ambari, Hina Zafrani, Kasturi Hina.

Oudh & woodyDeep, resinous, long-lasting — the base of most Middle Eastern perfumery. Oudh Attar Assam, Dehnul Oud, Rooh-Al-Oudh, Sandal Musk.

Musk & amberWarm, sweet bases and fixatives. Musk Amber, Misk Gazala, Black Musk, Amber Attar.

FloralSingle-flower attars, the backbone of Indian traditional perfumery. Rose (Gulab), Mogra, Motia, Chameli, Kewra, Juhi, Blue Lotus, Rajnigandha.

Resin & smokeIncense-adjacent, used in ritual products and as fixatives. Loban, Choya Loban, Choya Ral, Nakh Choya, Bakhoor.

Where Attars Are Used

Alcohol-free perfumery
The primary export market. Roll-on and dab-on perfume oils for regions and consumer segments where ethanol-based fragrance is avoided.
Fine fragrance compounding
Heart and base materials with a natural character that reconstructions cannot reproduce. Pairs with our floral absolutes.
Incense, agarbatti & bakhoor
High-volume application across India and the Gulf, usually built on oudh, loban and amber families.
Ayurvedic & wellness
Traditional-use positioning in massage oils, balms and ritual products, often alongside carrier oils.

Before You Order in Bulk

Attar Sourcing Guide

Is the sandalwood base genuine?

Ask directly, because this is where most cost-cutting happens. Real sandalwood base is expensive, and a large share of attars sold globally are built on liquid paraffin, DOP or a synthetic sandalwood substitute instead. We state the base on every specification. If you need genuine Santalum album base, say so on the order — it changes the price materially and we would rather quote it correctly than surprise you.

Do attars improve with age?

Genuine attars do. Hina and Shamama in particular are traditionally matured for months to years, and the aroma rounds out as it ages. This is one of the few product categories where old stock is worth more than fresh, which is also why maturation time is built into the price.

Are these natural, or do they contain aroma chemicals?

Both exist in this trade and the honest answer depends on the product. Distilled botanical attars are natural. Some classical compositions and fantasy names in the wider attar market are built partly or wholly from aroma chemicals because the flower cannot be distilled economically. Ask us per product rather than assuming across the range.

What is Mitti Attar and how is it made?

Baked clay discs are distilled and the vapour condensed into a sandalwood base, capturing petrichor — the smell of the first monsoon rain on dry earth. It is the only major perfumery material distilled from soil rather than a plant, it is specific to this region, and it has no synthetic equivalent that convinces anyone who knows the real thing.

How should attars be packed and stored?

Glass or aluminium, tightly closed, away from light and heat. Attars are far more stable than citrus essential oils because the base oil is non-volatile, so headspace matters less here than elsewhere in our catalogue. Traditional presentation is a hand-blown glass bottle, but for bulk supply we ship in standard containers unless you specify otherwise.

Can you make an attar to our own composition?

Yes — supply the brief or the formula and the volume, and we will come back on feasibility, base options and price. Bear in mind that a traditionally distilled attar cannot be turned around in days; the distillation and maturation set the lead time, not the order queue.

Browse the Range

Popular Traditional Indian Attars

A cross-section of the classical families, from Mitti and Hina through to Oudh and the florals.

Mitti AttarHina AttarShamama SpecialOudh Attar (Assam)Dehnul OudRooh-Al-OudhRose Attar (Gulab)Mogra AttarKewra AttarKhus AttarMusk AmberAmber AttarChoya LobanKesar (Saffron) AttarBlue Lotus AttarJasmine Sambac Attar

Explore the Full Catalogue

Eleven catalogues covering every extraction route we operate. If you are not sure which grade fits your application, describe the finished product and we will point you at the right one.

Natural Essential OilsCold Pressed Carrier OilsOrganic Essential OilsTherapeutic Grade Essential OilsPure Floral AbsolutesWild Crafted Essential OilsPure Floral WatersCO2 Extract OilsSpice OilsMenthol & Peppermint

Technical & Buyer Information

How each extraction method works, how we test, and what ships with an order.

GC-MS TestingDistillation MethodCold PressingCO2 ExtractionSolvent ExtractionTechnical InformationAromatherapyDelivery InformationOur LocationsAbout UsFAQsBlog

Request attar samples

Tell us the family, the base you need, and whether the market you are supplying requires alcohol-free certification. We will send samples and a specification for each.

Request a Quote

Browse Floral Absolutes

Natural Traditional Indian Attars — Manufacturer & Exporter

Amber Attar

Bakhoor Attar

Bakul Attar

Black Musk Attar

Blue Lotus Attar

Chameli Attar

Champa Attar

Choya Loban Attar

Choya Ral Attar

Dehnul Oud Attar

Earth Soil Attar

Frangipani Attar

Gardenia Perfume Oil

Genda Attar

Goldmohar Attar

Gul Henna Attar

Har Sringar Attar

Hina Ambari Attar

Hina Attar

Hina Musky Attar

Hina Oudhi Attar

Hina Zafrani Attar

Honey Suckle Attar

Indian Kadamb Attar

Indian Lotus Attar

Jasmine Attar

Jasmine Sambac Attar

Juhi Attar

Kamal Attar

Kasturi Hina Attar

Kesar Attar

Kewra Attar

Khus Attar

Lilies Perfume Oil

Loban Attar

Lotus Perfume Oil

Majmua 96+ Attar (Green)

Misk Gazala Attar

Mitti Attar

Mogra Attar

Motia Attar

Moulsree Attar

Mukhalat Attar

Musk Amber

Musk Attar

Musk Gazala Attar

Nag Champa Attar

Nakh Choya Attar

Narcissus Attar

Osmanthus Attar

Oudh Attar Aasam India

Pink Lotus Attar

Raat Raani Attar

Rajnigandha Attar

Rooh-Al-Oudh Attar

Rose Attar -Gulab

Sadaf Attar

Sandal Musk Attar

Sandalwood Shamama Attar

Shamama Shahi Attar

Shamama Special

Shamama-Tul-Amber Attar

Sontaka Attar

Tube Rose Attar

White Lotus Attar

Zafran Attar (Kesar) (Saffron)

Zafri Attar (Mari Gold/Gend Attar)