Oud, shamama or hina: telling the heavy attars apart
Three dark, rich attars that are easy to confuse at first sniff. What each one is made from and who usually wears it.
Attar for Ramzan evenings and Eid gifts
What Lucknow wears to iftar, to Eid namaz and to the visits that follow, and how to choose attar as a gift.
The busiest weeks of our year are the last ten days of Ramzan. Chowk stays open past midnight, and our counter is three deep from iftar until sehri. Most people come for two things: an attar to wear on Eid morning, and small bottles to give.
For Eid namaz, the custom in Lucknow is a light, clean scent. Ruh gulab and kewda are the old favourites, and khus suits Eid when it falls in the hot months. Many men put a drop on a cotton phaya tucked behind the ear, so the scent stays off the new kurta. For the evening visits, when the biryani and sheer khurma come out, something warmer such as amber and saffron sits well.
As a gift, attar is easy to get right if you keep it small. A 3 ml vial of ruh gulab costs about ₹750 and is welcome in almost any home. For elders, oud or shamama is a sign of respect, even in a tiny quantity. Our discovery set of five at ₹2,950 lets the person choose their own favourite.
Order by the 20th roza if you want delivery outside Lucknow before Eid. Gift boxes ordered at the counter in the last week are packed while you wait, but please expect a queue after maghrib.
