Plants of India: Hina Perfume or Shamama
Hina-India's Mystery Perfume
by Christopher McMahon
 There is an aura of mystery surrounding the Indian perfume known as
Hina or Shamama. It is a rich, deep and intensely oriental fragrance much prized in
India and the Middle East but relatively little known in the West. The
term is also used in connection with the red paste produced from the leaves
of the plant, Lawsonia inermis, which is popularly called Hina or Heena
in the East. This red paste is used to decorate the hands and feet of women
for special functions, especially marriage and it is also used to color
the hair both for men and women. It is as popular in the Middle East as
it is in India. But the perfume is an entirely different product and there
is a lot of confusion as to how it is made and the processes involved in
its manufacture.
Very few people have had the opportunity to visit the ancient
perfume center of Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh which has been one of the main
centers for Hina manufacture for centuries and where this intricate and
detailed process continues to this day. Knowledge of the Hina
making process is a carefully guarded secret and has been portrayed, at best, as one in which a number of
aromatic herbs, spices, roots, seeds, etc. have been combined and hyrdodistilled
to produce the characteristically potent oriental fragrance. Even if one
does visit Kannauj, the Grasse of India, they would find the cities perfumers
reluctant to talk of the exact processes involved in the perfume or attars
manufacture as each family or company has its own secret recipes that is
handed down from generation to generation. Fortunately I have been allowed
some access into this "hidden" world through the kind assistance
of my Indian colleagues Mr. Ramakant Harlalka and Mr. Manoj Avasthi. Through
their efforts I was allowed to visit some of the finest perfumeries of the
city and photograph the basic procedures involved in attar manufacture.
Subsequently Mr. Avasthi was allowed to photograph, in more detail the steps
involved in Hina manufacture. Because of his life-long association with
the industry, he was also able to give me a detailed verbal account of the
equipment used, the raw materials involved, how they are combined, etc.
This information should prove useful to those interested in understanding
more about this fascinating perfume.
The world of the traditional Indian perfumer is, from an outsiders viewpoint,
exotic, mysterious, and fascinating. In our modern world, with the great
emphasis on computerization and mechanization, their(the perfumer's) world
remains one in which labor-intensive activity predominates. From the gathering
of the raw materials to the final perfume product, the human element predominates.
Many cottage industries center around providing materials for the perfumers
art and craft. Copper vessels, bamboo pipes, leather bottles, bricks, and
numerous other products are needed for the practice of their art and craft
and so thousands of people in the local area draw some if not all of their
wages from working directly for a perfume house or in some related field.
The wonderful thing about it is that local people can live in rural environments
with their families and friends while earning enough to make ends meet by
practicing simple, time-honored crafts.
 In the perfumery itself their is a constant hum of activity. Copper
cauldrons called "deg" sit in rows encased in earth and brick
underneath which fires are built to produce the heat to water-distill the
aromatic raw materials from which the Hina attar is made. Skilled workers
move about the factory gathering together all the materials to commence
the distillation process. From the storehouses the raw herbs, seeds and
spices are brought that are then ground or chipped prior to combining in
specific proportions according to secret family recipes. In certain cases
the aromatic ingredients are lightly roasted. Some of the raw materials
used are tumeric, spikenard, yew, oakmoss, cardamom, juniper berry, nutmeg,
mace, clove bud, ambrette seed, laurel berry, valerian, and red sandalwood.
The grinding of the aromatic botanicals fills the surrounding area with
the subtle odors particular to each plant. Other workers busy themselves
with the filling of the copper cauldrons of water, checking the twine encased
bamboo pipes which connect the cauldrons to the long-neck copper receivers,
preparing cotton-impregnated clay "snakes" used for tightly sealing
the cauldron with its lid, wood being weighed and apportioned for the fires
to be built beneath each cauldron, etc. It is a real joy to witness the
way in which the different parts of the process unfold and on observing
the careful attention to detail, one realizes that each person involved
possesses his or her own unique skill and understanding which is critical
to the success of the entire operation. I think it is really helpful to
realize that simplicity is also beautiful and that people working in these
less mechanized ways have a level of skill and knowledge which is commendable.
The first step of the distilling process begins with the charging of
charila or lichen into the still. Several types of lichens are gathered
in the Himalayas and used for this purpose. The notes which it contributes
to the overall Hina compositions are dry, woody-earthy, bark like ones which
while adding their own unique odor values also have superior fixative properties.
5 kilos of charila or lichen are added to the cauldron or still having 40
kilos of water. The lid of the still is then put in place using the clay
"snake" as a sealing agent(the snake completely encircles the
round lip of the still upon which the lid sits. Then to firmly clamp the
lid to the cauldron, a "kamani" spring is used. It is a flexible
piece of metal with hooked ends which slides under the lip of the cauldron
and over the lid. A wedge is then driven into the space between the lid
and the spring making a firm seal. A unique feature of lids used for the
Hina distillation is that they have two holes in them which means that two
bamboo pipes or "chonga"can be inserted into them at a time as
opposed to one which is used for the making a single note attar. Before
connecting the twine encased pipes(the twine is an insulating agent) to
the still they are inserted into the long necked copper receivers or "bhapka"
which hold 5 kilos of pure sandalwood each. The bamboo pipes are wrapped
with a coarse cloth at the place where they enter the receivers neck so
that a tight seal is formed when the two are connected. Only when the receiver
and bamboo pipe have been affixed to each other are they connected to the
small hole in the lid of the still. In the process of connecting this unit
to the still the receiver comes to rest in a water bath so that when the
aroma laden steam passes through the pipe into the receiving chamber it
condenses and either becomes absorbed into the sandalwood or separates out
as water. At this point the fires fueled by cow dung or wood are ignited
and the distillation process commences. Heat of the fire is managed by the
most experienced workers because it is the only way of regulating the speed
of distillation. Familiarity with each material being distilled is a must
as each has its own requirements. Failure to monitor the heat correctly
can result either in the material not releasing its aromatic constituents
to the full or burning the material as it is in direct contact with the
water which has only the thickness of the copper separating it from the
fire.
In the case of charila or lichen the first stage of the distillation
process goes on for 4 hours. During that time the receivers are regularly
checked to see if they are maintaining a cool enough temperature for proper
condensation to occur. As soon as the water in the receivers bath becomes
to hot, fresh cool water is added so that the right temperature is maintained.
At the end of 4 hours the original receivers are removed and new ones attached
as the condensed material has filled the vessel and it needs to cool and
fully separate. But the aromatic principles of the charila have not been
fully exhausted so distillation is continued for another 4 hours. The next
day the oil and water are separated via a small hole in the bottom of the
receiver. The oil floats on the top and the water sits at the bottom and
so a person adapt at the separation process slowly drains off the water
until the very first signs of oil appear. Great care is taken not to waste
any of the precious oil. The water itself contains valuable aromatic constituents
and is added back to the cauldron for the new days distillation. This process
is repeated for 10-12 days until the sandalwood becomes charged with the
proper percentage of the lichens aromatic molecules.
The second stage is initiated by placing several lightly roasted and
ground botanicals like spikenard, valerian, galangal root, cyperus root
and sugandh kokila in the water filled copper still. 3 kilos of dry material
to 40 of water is the approximate proportion used. This mix is distilled
into the lichen aroma permeated sandalwood oil for a period of 4 hours and
this process is repeated adding new material each day, over a period of
5 days. Approximately 15 days have passed in performing the first two stages
and the sandalwood oil has now taken an added dimension of rich and depth
contributed by the roasted roots. Each of these oils is known for their
deep mysterious spicy, sweet-woody, animal-like notes. These are true base-notes
that give the oil an extraordinary tenacity. Sandalwood oil while lending
its own subtle, mellow and rich notes to the overall composition is even
more esteemed for its ability to absorb the aromatic molecules of material
distilled and transform them into something even more beautiful than when
they stand on their own. It protects, enriches, and elevates any aromatic
molecule that comes in contact with it.
In the third stage 1 kilo of unroasted ground spices, herbs, and seeds
like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, patchouli and ambrette are
placed in 15 kilos of water and distilled into the aroma charged sandalwood
oil. This mixture of botanicals which includes a number of botanicals not
known outside India and which varies from company to company adds another
level of complexity to the perfume. Now hundreds of aromatic molecules from
different sources are permeating the sandalwood and beginning to interact
with each other. Power, tenacity, richness, depth, and mystery increase
at every level of this perfumes creation. The challenge before those who
practice this art and craft in its most refined form is to get them to balance
so that the composition does not become muddled and that its complex essence
reveals itself as something possessing a distinct character and personality.
 Up to this point the perfumer has utilized traditional hydro-distillation
techniques to produce an exotic base oil that must capture ever more complex
levels of the fragrance kingdom. In another innovative process the perfumers
of Kannauj create a perfumed product called "choya". There is
a type of shell that is has some unique aromatic notes that are considered
invaluable for the overall character of Hina perfume. The shells are crushed
and placed in a bed of sand upon which a fire is ignited. When the sand
heats up the fishy smell of the shell comes out and the note the perfumer
is looking for remains. This "burnt" shell is then added to pure
sandalwood oil and placed in a special earthenware vessel. This vessel has
a large oval body with a small rounded head that has a small spout protruding
from it. The whole vessel is tilted so that the head and spout are below
the rest of the body. A gentle fire is set beneath it and very slowly the
fragrant substance drips out of the spout to produce "choya ral".
Another "choya" called "choya loban" is produced by
adding benzoin directly to the same type of earthen ware vessel only without
sandalwood oil. It is similarly heated and the more volatile principles
of the gum are distilled into the receiving vessel. It is a natural way
to produce an oleo-resin.
Now the fragrance-ladened sandalwood oil and choya's are added to a
special vessel that will serve as the crucible for the final stages of Hina
production. Previously produced single note attars of Champa, Rose, Jasmine,
Bakul, Keora and Mehndi are added along with saffron crushed in rose water,
ambergris and musk. This entire mixture is sealed in the metal vessel which
has a special lid in which water is placed. The entire composition is macerated
at very low heat for 24 hours. After cooling the solid materials are skimmed
off and the perfume is placed in leather bottles to mature. The entire process
can take up to two months from start to finish and a true Hina attar begins
at $1000 per kilo and goes up from there. The price increases with the time
of processing and the rarity and cost of ingredients used. Only a very few
houses truly dedicate themselves to making the authentic product as with
modern technology it is possible to produce a reasonable facsimile Hina
perfume using synthetic ingredients. It can be produced at a fraction of
the cost and to those not acquainted with the finer nuisances of the real
item, it has an odor reasonably close to the original.
But the truth is that nothing can come close to the real item produced
by a talented perfumer. In his hands many of the herbs, spices, roots, seeds,
and flowers of India are transmuted into a perfume of rare beauty and mystery.
It is as if they have gathered together all the precious botanical materials
of India, in the form of her aromatic spices, medicinal herbs, earthy roots,
exotic flowers, and precious woods and representing the unique range of
climates, soils, and topographies of the coastal regions, mountain ranges.
river valleys, high plateaus and arid deserts and transformed it into an
embodiment of that ancient and sacred land. It is a true alchemical process
requiring vast knowledge of the countries rich and varied botanicals as
well as special techniques of extraction and distillation. It is no wonder
that this fragrance is dearly loved by the countries people.
Updated: 5/26/2006
Copyright (C) 1998 by Christopher McMahon. All rights reserved. Queries to: somanath@aol.com
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