#102: Journeys Through Indian Fragrance Materials with Divrina Dhingra

An Aromatic Life

In this episode, Frauke sits down with writer and journalist Divrina Dhingra to talk about her new book, The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian Fragrance, and discuss some of the indigenous aromatic materials that have defined Indian perfumery for centuries. Divrina shares her experience going to Kannauj, known as the "Center of Indian Perfumery," seeing the rose fields, and witnessing the traditional distillation methods that have been passed down from generations. She talks about the role itr plays in India today, and shares her experience discovering the unique ingredient choya nakh. Divrina also discusses the difficulties the Indian sandalwood industry has had, with both poaching and adulteration continuing to dominate. Lastly, she also shares her perspective on what the future holds for Indian perfumery, and what she found most inspiring after writing the book.

Connect with Divrina on X (Twitter) @divrina

⁠Buy The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian fragrance (in India)

Buy The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian fragrance (outside of India)

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