In a major boost for the famous fragrance industry of Kannauj, an ancient city of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, the state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of an international perfume museum and park.
Foundation stone laying ceremony of India’s first ever International Perfume Museum & Aroma Park in Kannauj. pic.twitter.com/wHdrObt8ip
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) 12 апреля 2016 г.
Kannauj prides itself as the “Ittar City” or the perfume city of India. “Ittar” is an Arabic word meaning “scent”; it is one of the oldest natural fragrant materials, nearly 5,000 years old, which is prepared from flowers and natural oil extracts. Ittar is used in manufacturing different kinds of products such as henna paste for mehndi art, cosmetics and ayurvedic medicines. Traditionally, in the East, it was a custom of nobility to offer ittar to guests at the time of their departure. This tradition continues to this day in many parts of the Eastern world. The use of ittar during meditation and dances is quite common among Sufi worshipers.
The construction of a perfume museum and park would provide a world-class platform for the fragrance manufacturers to showcase their age-old skills and to upgrade their mastery according to the changing times of new technologies, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Mahesh Kumar Gupta told IANS.
“Once the project is completed it would rejuvenate the old glory of Kannauj as a fragrance hub in addition to increasing the export of locally made perfumes,” he said.
A special fragrance manufacturing zone for modern distillation and extraction units will be arranged in Kannauj within the project. An international perfume museum, which will be developed by Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation, will house various types of fragrances.
