Kannauj-district of Uttar Pradesh

 Kannauj, also spelled Kanauj or Cannauj, historically Kanyakubja, town, central Uttar Pradesh state, northern India.The city's name is a modern form of the classical name Kanyakubja. It was also known as Mahodaya during the time of Mihira Bhoja. 

History-

The city of Kannauj had previously been ruled by emperor Harshavardhana, who died without an heir and thus created a power vacuum. This lasted for around a century before Yashovarman emerged as its ruler.Later during the Gupta period, it was the place that the famous Chinese traveller Fa Hien visited and praised. It was also the capital of King Harsha’s powerful empire.Gurjara and Pratihar dynasties which are very popular also ruled in this areas. This area has many temples and the historical significance of this town in terms of archaeology is indispensable. It has a fort and various museums which still narrate the story of the city’s glorious past.

Famous places one can visit here-

1) Archaeological museum-

Archaeological museum of Kannauj have vast variety of clayey idols which proves that at ancient time Kannauj was famous for art and culture like Mathura, Kashi and Kaushambi. 

2) Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary-Established in 1989 it is one of largest bird sanctuaries in India spread in areas of 80 sq. km. The sanctuary is a famous spot for the birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.

3) Gauri Shankar Temple-

4) Annapurna Temple -

Tourists can stay in nearby hotels and have a tour of this place.... Some of the hotels that are nearby are-

1) Rudraksha Palace

2) Rahi tourists Bunglow

3) Hotel Rajdani

4) Hindustan kannauj

5) Hotel Venus

6) MY heritage hotel and banquet

How to reach-

Kannauj is very well connected to neighboring Farrukhabad, Hardoi, and Kanpur. The city has decent roadways network.

1) Reaching Kannauj By Flight

Kannauj is not well connected to other major cities of the country via regular flights. The nearest airport is in Kanpur at a distance of 79kms.

Airports: Kanpur Airport

2) Reaching Kannauj By Train

There is no regular trains to Kannauj from other major cities of the country. The nearest Railway station is at Kanpur which is located at a distance of 76kms.

Railway Station(s): Kanpur Central , Govindpuri , Panki , Kanpur Anwrganj , Kalianpur , Chandari. 

Kannauj-The city of Perfumes

 An artistic journey is what encapsulates the bottles of Kannauj Naturals. The generational skills of perfumery seep into the refined blends of these tasteful and mastered scents that exude the aromas of India.Kannauj has been distilling itra, or attar, for centuries now, coaxing roses, jasmines, and other flowers into giving up their fragrance, and quickly bottling them up with essential oils. 

For centuries Kannauj (pronounced kunh-nowj), in northeast India’s Ganges belt, has been crafting oil-based botanical perfumes called attar using time-tested distillation methods. Sought after by both Mughal royals and everyday folk in ancient India’s fragrance-obsessed culture, Kannauj attar scented everything from wrists to food, fountains to homes.

Perfume’, derived from the Latin ‘per fumus’, literally translates into ‘through smoke’. And it is literally through fumes, that the full impact of personal fragrance is felt. 

Process of making -

But what makes Kannauj’s attar-making industry even more interesting is that despite the passage of time, they still follow the traditional method, a highly labour-intensive and time-consuming hydro-distillation process, called ‘deg bhapka’.Attar makers of Kannauj can draw out the fragrance from a large number of natural ingredients, such as different kinds of flowers (rose, kewra, chameli, bela, marigold, jasmine, lavender, etc.), from natural products such as vetiver, and herbs and spices (cardamom, cloves, saffron, juniper berry, jatamansi, etc.). Usually, the flowers are plucked at dawn so that they retain the best fragrance. The ‘deg’ is a copper still into which the natural ingredients, such as flower petals, are put in along with water. The pots are covered with lids and sealed with a special clay mix. These pots are placed on clay furnace (‘bhatti’) fired with wood and cow-dung cakes. The deg is connected to the long-necked ‘bhapka’ or the receiver, which is also made of copper, through the ‘chonga’ or a twine-wrapped bamboo pipe, which acts as a condenser too. The bhapka whose mouth has been covered with cloth sits in a cooling chamber filled with water (‘gachhi’). A base oil, usually sandalwood oil, is poured in the bhapka. As the deg is fired, the vapour from the ingredient collects in the bhapka, gets condensed and the oil collects the fragrance. But it is easier said than done.

Famous scents from Kannauj-

1) Mitti Attar

2) Ruh Khus Attar

3) Shamama Attar

4) Blue lotus Attar

5) Jasmine Attar

6) White Oudh Attar

7) Kesar chandan Attar

8) Jannatul Firdaus Attar

9) Saffron Attar

10) Sandalwood Attar

11) Musk amber Attar

12) Bakhoor Attar

13) Mukhallat Attar

14) Nargis Attar

15) Henna attar

16) Kewra Attar

17) Majmua Attar

18) Kadamb Attar

19) Marigold Attar

20) Black Oudh Attar

The scent of a droplet lingers pleasantly on the skin, sometimes for days.

Equally enchanting to men and women, attars have an androgynous quality. They strike intense floral, woodsy, musky, smoky,...

Image credits-google