An intimidating blanket of fierce black clouds hung low over Mumbai’s Gateway of India as raging waves rushed towards its historic stony grandeur like a charging pride of lions. In contrast, a few yards away at a fragrance boutique, the aromas of bright saffron and rose waltzing with a wide-projecting sandalwood resurrected the dazzle of a yawning desert sun illuminating chalky mud coloured ‘barjeels’ (Arabian wind towers) in Dubai’s old quarter, a little after sunrise over the turquoise Arabian Gulf beyond.
The gathering of scent aficionados at Ajmal & Sons reminded me of Yeats’s famous saying “there are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met”! A few burlesque Bahrainis, affable Emiratis and myself, had all coincidentally gathered there to bid adieu to a beloved classic fragrance oil that the company decided to discontinue soon.
Mukhallat Khaleej, Arabic for ‘blend of the Gulf’ that had charmed generations with those luminous notes was about to enter the annals of time, and of our memoirs it kept alive through olfactive nostalgia. It seemed like a legendary argosy on its final journey to the yard, the waves of many oceans adorning its weathered metal.
Indeed, if you want to embalm your memories, do it in a scent bottle! My last-ever ‘tola’ (12 ml) of Mukhallat Khaleej geared-up my senses for a ‘scentimental’ celebration of Raksha Bandhan.
ODE TO ASHTAGANDHA
The soon to-be bemoaned fragrance that humbly returned to the shelf, probably for the last time, surprisingly contained elements of India’s ancient classical ‘Ashtagandha’, a selection of eight aromas with mystical properties that includes saffron , musk and oud or ‘agar’. What better way to celebrate tradition?
With no siblings for pillow-fights, I still manage to have intricately colourful rakhis decorate my wrists once a year by sisterly neighbours! To gift them endearing symbols of this age-old fragrant legacy, I decided to purchase an exotic selection of ‘attar’ oils that would exemplify many, if not all of ashtagandha’s eight aromas.
Sans alcohol, these fragrance concentrates that bind both, Indian and Arab heritages, are known to be long lasting, exotic and portable. “Attars have the magical quality to relieve stress which is the root cause of many ailments. Their exhilarating aromas cause the release of serotonin, the happiness hormone, providing the wearer with numerous health benefits and a sublime sense of wellbeing” shares Mumbai based senior family physician Dr Deepak Solanki.
After a judicious nosing of varied attars, I zeroed-down on four exquisite ones that were aptly formulated for the occasion. Ajmal & Son’s Dana seemed like a celebrative symphony, a powdery mélange of saffron, patchouli, woody and oud. Its opening notes instantly reminded me of Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar’s Raga Kedar in all its glory and gaiety, elegantly embodying a bright shuddha nishad .
For a universally palatable musk note away from its animalic overtures, a subtle and sophisticated Mukhallat Khalifa by Ajmal, probably named after the UAE’s late ruler, seemed a perfectly cajoling kasturi composition.
Opening with an apple accord, unfolding with soft florals, clean white musk and drying down to a majestic Indian oud, this was a truly unusual marriage of fresh notes with a dark, aged, earthy oud.
Burning oud as incense has been an endearing tradition, both in the Arab world and in ancient India. A gilt-edge concoction of robust oud, deep amber, creamy saffron and a subtle jasmine was Ajmal Dakhoon Al Safa (incense of purity) to provide my living room a with a palatial vibe during the unfolding of the sororal ceremony.
INCENSE PLEASURES
There is an inexplicable spiritual magic about incense. Several classical traditions recommend the burning of natural materials, namely resins and woods like guggul (commiphora Wightii), benzoin, frankincense, sandalwood and agar for tranquillity, balance of mind and stress-relief. The calm that prevails with their aromas, sets the celebratory mood. “Benzoin’s fragrant smoke dispels negative energy, purifying the atmosphere and inspiring devotion” opines subject-expert Khoremond Mehta.
At his iconic heritage incense store Minoi Meher adjoining Mumbai’s 1897 Anjuman Na Atash Behram Zoroastrian fire temple, a meditative mix of varied resins and woods is solace from the incessant honking and bottlenecks outside! While agar, Mehta believes, was once easily available, sandalwood has been India’s sacred scent since time immemorial. “Apart from its spiritual aromas, every part of the benevolent sandalwood tree is beneficial to both humans, as well as nature” he explains.
To enliven the atmosphere during festive gatherings, I experiment with customised incense layering combinations to acquire ethereal aromatic accords. Agarbatti sticks, for instance, one each of musk, sandalwood and jasmine burning together in a single holder! Or a few chunks of benzoin over charcoal and an amber agarbatti in another corner of the room. While the sweet, smokey and vanilla-like facet of benzoin, popularly called ‘loban’ in south Asian countries quietens the mind, amber boosts energy.
FLORAL FIESTA
Flowers are nature’s aromatic angels. As innocent as they can be, an Urdu couplet, a favourite of legendary vocalist Ustad Amir Khan, is an apt ode to their soul-stirring purity. “Ghunche teri zindagi pe dil hilta hai, teri ek tabassum ke liye khilta hai. Ghunche ne kaha baba, woh ek tabassum bhi kise milta hai?” (Oh bud, my life revolves around your existence and blooms when you smile. Said the bud, ‘in this world, how many are blessed with even one smile?’)!
Flowers make the heart smile and India’s floral treasure house is unparalleled anywhere in the world, as are, her floral extracts. The bespoke bouquets I conjure up at local flower markets as festive presents, embody flowers with their own distinct qualities.
Flaming orange eye-popping marigolds create the anticipation of joyous times and togetherness. Jasmine is considered auspicious, reflecting satoguna while many of her relatives like Night Blooming Jasmine (‘raat ki rani’) spread the scent of sensuality and feminine beauty as they bloom in the stillness and silence of the night. Tuberose ( ‘rajnigandha’) spells freshness and friendship.
But how could I forget the king of flowers? “Have you wondered why the rose, more than other flowers, has been the favourite universal metaphor for romantics and poets across cultures?” winked Abi Marwan, an elderly Hindi-speaking Emirati back at the fragrance boutique. Roses stand for revelry and symbolise opulence and joy.
While watching smiling flowers wither away often aches the heart, an attar serenading their aromas is everlasting. Ajmal’s Wild Rose, for just 500 a tola, was a bottled bouquet of lush damask roses paired with honey and musk, an invigorating jasmine, a subtle lily of the valley, standing tall over a smoky, woody base. “Habibi, rakhi mubarak ho” he whispered, as I stepped out to be drenched for the day!