Rain also picks up odors from the molecules it meets. A byproduct of bacteria, geosmin is what gives beets their earthy flavor. Likewise, the familiar, musty odor that rises from streets and storm ponds during a deluge comes from a compound called geosmin. The metallic zing that can fill the air before a summer thunderstorm is from ozone, a molecule formed from the interaction of electrical discharges-in this case from lightning-with oxygen molecules. Most of the villagers there are connected to fragrance in one way or another-from sinewy craftsmen who steam petals over wood fires in hulking copper pots to mothers who roll incense sticks in the shade while their toddlers nap on colorful mats nearby.Īlong with their ancient perfumery, the villagers of Kannauj have inherited a remarkable skill: They can capture the scent of rain.Įvery storm blows in on a scent, or leaves one behind. But today, Kannauj is a hub of a historic perfumery that draws much of the town to the same pursuit. Exactly when attar-making began there, no one is certain archaeologists have unearthed clay distillation pots dating back thousands of years to the ancient Harappan civilization of the Indus Valley. Then and now, Kannauj was the place to fetch the fine scents-jasmine oils, rose waters, the roots of grasses called vetiver, with a bouquet cooling to the nose. Fragrant oils-known in India as attars-had been one of the couple’s great shared passions.
![kannauj mitti attar kannauj mitti attar](https://www.islamicattar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Mitti-Attar-kannauj-online.jpg)
For one thing, Jahan never again wore perfume.
![kannauj mitti attar kannauj mitti attar](https://cathysattars.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mitti-attar-800.jpg)
But he also mourned his queen in much more personal ways. The Taj is Jahan’s grand paean to lost love. Empress Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 giving birth to their 13th child.
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In India’s state of Uttar Pradesh, the village of Kannauj lies a dusty four-hour drive east of the Taj Mahal, the white-marbled wonder built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third and favorite wife.