Attar is a Persian/Arabic word meaning "fragrance, scent, or
essence." Attars have been famous in the Near East, Persia and India for over 5,000 years. Attar is also referred to as the Most Exotic Natural Fragrance for the Soul. Attar is an incense which has a tremendous effect on the olfactory nerves of a person. Attar ( they say, it all started from Attar Rooh Gulab ) is said to have been discovered by Noorjehan, wife of Emperor Jehangir of the Mughal era. The story goes that she went for a morning bath and was delighted with the fragrance of the oily layer on the water which had been left overnight to keep it cool. When distilled, it turned out to be her favorite rose perfume.
Old texts mention that the floral group primarily used for attar manufacture was rose, bela, jasmine, champa, molesari and tuberose along with roots like vetiver and ginger. Sandal, cinnamon and aloe bark were also used. Heavy odours like musk, myrrh and ambergris, were also used with khus. Sandalwood oil forms the base as, during distillation, the
original smell of sandalwood vanishes and the oil captures the fragrance of the flower.