As a prelude to Spring, The Fragrance Foundation (TFF) The Fragrance Foundation, in association with the Madison Avenue B.I.D, presents the 2nd Annual Fragrance Week on Madison Avenue March 21 – 27. The week-long festivities kicks-off on Saturday, March 21, the official International Fragrance Day™ celebrated around the world.
International Fragrance Day is held each year to promote the art and science of perfumery and to encourage people to appreciate the role of fragrance in our daily lives. Around the world, the celebrations of International Fragrance Day take people on a sensory journey which helps them reconnect with the ancient traditions of making essential oils, attars, perfumes and all things fragrant.
Fragrance has long intertwined India’s spiritual and material world. From spiritual rituals to wellness and beauty traditions that go back to the days of Hindu epics, this antique land is one of the richest repositories of fragrance history and heritage.
From adding that final accessory to our attire as we step out for the day to the well-embedded healing powers of aromatherapy, fragrances remain an important space in India’s pursuit of olfactory engagement with the natural world.
Kannauj, the 'Perfume Capital of India’ has been serving our olfactory experiences, memories of places, people and our inner selves, since the 6th century. Madurai, the ‘Jasmine Capital of India’ keeps us vitally alive, with the scent of these tiny but densely fragrant snow-white blooms. In Kashmir, the damask roses, lavender and saffron distill fragrances that reconnect with our moods, memories, emotions and personal identity.
Treat yourself to a multisensorial journey which fuses smell and taste on this special day. Discover how artistry and passion, science and nature come together to shape our daily life in the most unique way. Learn about the different blooms, herbs and barks which create these olfactory delights— oud, roses, jasmine, khus, marigold, mogra, lavender, saffron…and all those aromatic spices which lend their fragrance to our attars and culinary offerings.
Step away from closed spaces and soak in the myriad charms of the sensory offerings of gardens and traffic roundabouts, sidewalks and avenues, all abloom with colour and scents. Take a selfie with your favourite scent…Organize a gathering with like-minded friends to talk about all things fragrant... Try new fragrances… Go visit a perfume museum to learn all about the art and craft of essential oils and perfume making.
From flower oils to wood oils, from seed oils, bark oils and fragrance oils, it’s the day to jump into a fully immersive experience. In India this day marks a time to celebrate both its traditional and modern fragrance making. In Kochi, spend time at the amazing SPR Perfume Museum in Mattancherry. The brainchild of a passionate research chemist, it features over 1,450 types of essential oils and 980 aromatic compositions. Call ahead to enjoy a customised perfume-making demo. Wander around Kannauj which is a living open museum of the ancient fragrance tradition of deg-bhapka (hydro-distillation) process. The Fragrance & Flavour Development Centre (FFDC) in Kannauj also offers guided tours. But do call ahead to book one. At the Kanpur Museum of Fragrances & Experience Centre (Kanpur, UP) one can explore the attar and oud traditions of the region.
In Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Srinagar, Kolkata and so many other cities, traditional attar and perfume-selling establishments are doing brisk business to this day. Check these out and come back with plenty of loot. What a fun way to spend International Fragrance Day, doing one of your most favourite things….