Attar remains scent of choice for traditionalists on Eid

Natural scents made from flowers, spices & herbs are costlier than alcohol-free fragrances

ISLAMABAD: Eid, a joyous occasion marking the completion of the fasting month of Ramazan, is also a time to relive the traditional values and decking up in the culture.

People head to mosques for Eid prayers in traditional attire ¬ dress, footwear, caps, and scents.

The scent of Eid is by choice of millions the traditional attar. From costly natural attars drawn from flowers, spices, and herbs to cheaper alcohol-free fragrances imported from France and China, people use it as part of the culture and also as a tradition set by Holy Prophet (PBUH).

According to one of the sayings of Holy Prophet (PBUH) people going for Eid prayers should wear new or clean clothes and put on fragrance.

Having a link with Sunnah, the sale of attar shoots up in Ramazan when people are more inclined towards religion.

With the growing inclination towards religion, especially amongst the youth, the demand for non-alcoholic perfumes has greatly increased

On Eid, people also tend to buy perfumes along with their new dresses and footwear. The trend of attar jumps almost 70 per cent rise during Eid season, retailers say. Men, women, and children use attars for special religious gatherings in Ramazan, Jummah prayers and on the occasion of Eid.

A perfume seller, Ehtishamul Haq, endorsed this and told The Express Tribune that perfume demand continues to rise. Applying fragrance becomes a necessity in summer to reduce the smell of sweat. The fragrance was considered a vital part of one’s personality as well as a confidence booster, he explained, adding that body odor gives a negative impression of a person.

Therefore both from a religious and worldly point of view, the use of fragrance are necessary for the sweltering heat.



Therefore people tend to buy traditional attars or non-alcoholic copies of western scents in Ramazan and Eid.

Costly attars include those that are prepared naturally from flower petals, spices, and herbs.

An ounce could cost upwards from Rs10,000. These are concentrated natural oils and need to be applied in tiny dabs only. A small bottle could last months, according to a website of an international attar manufacturer.

A quick search on E-Bay shows that the best of attar makers in South Asia were found and still exist in areas governed by Nawabs. These feudal lords of the yore would spend millions on attar of their choice. Today, the most costly attars come from Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. The attar has an alluring smell which attracts money.

However, as per a survey conducted by The Express Tribune in Aabpara market, many people prefer comparatively cheaper alcohol-free copies of fragrances imported from France, Germany, China, and England.

Pakistani importers get first copies of international perfume brands from abroad while their prices are set commensurate with their quality and matching.

Ehtisham said that all big clothing outlets have launched their perfume range which was confirmation that people from every age group wanted to buy them.

A perfume with 70% matching of the original product costs around Rs10,000 per 1,000 ml or one litre while those with 80% matching cost more than Rs13,000.

These non-alcoholic perfumes are also sold in shops and also on makeshift stalls outside every big mosque in a locality. These non-alcoholic copies of famous scents sell for Rs100 to Rs500 per 10ml while the costly ones start from Rs4,000 per 10ml.

Ehtisham said people purchase attars particularly during Eid season so they could smell pleasant when they hug each other, he said. “Summer body odor could be quite a repellent,” he mused.

Renowned sculptor Aftab Changezi said that applying scent was a Sunnah and therefore it benefits both ways.

Aijaz Hussain Malik believes that attars give pleasant scents which provide solace.

Rahim Rehman was of the view that good perfumes cost more, but they leave their effects for a long time.

How to apply attar

Conventional fragrances contain alcohol to help the scent rise from your skin – yet it also causes it to evaporate faster. But attars are concentrated perfume oil and can last for a day or two because they do not contain alcohol.

They are so intense that a tiny bottle can last a person several months! All you need is a dab on the inside of each of your wrists, your earlobes, and the back of each knee. A gorgeous scent will envelop you the whole day!

How to choose according to season

Due to their therapeutic value, attars are classified based on their ability to warm or cool the body. So for the summer, it’s best to choose one made from ingredients that lower body temperature like jasmine, rose, and sandalwood.

Attars made from musk, amber, and oud raise the body’s core temperature.

They are perfect picks for the winter season.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2019.