A heady cocktail of scents fills the air as one enters the narrow lanes of the historic city of Kannauj, the perfume capital of India in Uttar Pradesh state.
But one smell stands out – petrichor, the earthy redolence of the first rains on dry soil that perfumers in the city capture in tiny bottles.
From poets to farmers desperately waiting for rain to feed their crops, the pleasant smell resonates with a wide variety of people awaiting the joy of relief from the hot Indian summers.
Perfumers in Kannauj have tapped into this emotion and mastered the art of bottling this soothing scent in an oil-based fragrance called "mitti attar".
Mitti means soil in Urdu and attar means perfume in Persian.
The town of 2.3 million, about 120km from the state capital Lucknow, is home to an attar cottage industry.
From rose, jasmine and sandalwood to oud, musk and saffron, about 350 small, medium and large perfumeries make attars following a centuries-old process, in huge large copper cauldrons using flowers, clay and oils distilled in water over wood fires.
There are about 400 attar perfumeries in the city but only 10 per cent of them make the mitti attar, according to the government-run Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre.
Gaurav Mehrotra, a third-generation perfumer, operates one of them.
His grandfather started Puja Perfumery about 45 years ago, he says, and the family still produces the perfume in a unit behind his home in Kannauj.
While the history of attar goes back about 60,000 years, the fragrant oils were made popular during the time of the Mughals, the Muslims who ruled the subcontinent for about 300 years, starting in the late 15th century.
The rulers and their queens were known to have used attar to keep their minds fresh and bodies scented in the hot climate.
With modernisation and globalisation, Indians were exposed to synthetic perfumes and global brands that led to a decline in the popularity and sales of attar.
But Mr Mehrotra says that with awareness and growing interest in natural products, more people, particularly women and customers from abroad, are buying attar, especially the mitti attar.
The natural perfume is used as a fragrance, an air freshener, an essential oil, and in aromatherapy, because of its soothing smell.
There has also been a growing demand from abroad, including countries such as the US, UK, Europe and Japan, the perfumer said.
“It was made earlier also but in the last five to 10 years, its popularity has grown manifold," Mr Mehrotra said.
"Women particularly like it because of its subtle fragrance. Foreigners also like it because it is natural and traditional."
While the perfume smells of rain, the monsoon is the most unsuitable month for making it.
The process involves baking clay extracted from topsoil, which during the rainy season can lose its natural smell because of an excess of moisture.
Painstaking process
Making mitti attar is a painstaking, time-consuming process.
Perfumers use unglazed clay that is extracted from the topsoil and baked in a kiln, often sourced from local potters.
It is then crushed and thrown into a "deg" – a traditional large copper cauldron – and sealed with a lid using clay.
The cauldron is kept on a furnace made of bricks and clay, and fuelled by firewood or coal.
A bamboo pipe leads from the cauldron to a "bhapka" – a receiving vessel with a long neck and round belly, also made of copper, that is kept in a cooling tank of water and acts as a condenser. It holds liquid paraffin as a base oil.
As the cauldron boils, the vapour from the vessel passes through the bamboo to the receiver.
The fire is kept burning for a few hours after which the first distillate is transferred to an empty copper pot and distilled again. The mitti attar is extracted in the second distillation.
The process is called hydro-distillation. The longer the process, the stronger the perfume is, Mr Mehrotra said.
“We use raw, broken clay," he said. "We start with 20kg of clay and add 40kg of water for steam. The receiver already has a base oil such as sandalwood or carrier oil.
"The process continues. We throw the used clay and add a new batch and double the water. The process continues for two to three months."
Once extracted, the perfume is stored in pouches made of camel leather, which absorb the moisture and further concentrate the fragrance.
The perfumes are priced according to their quality and strength. Sandalwood base oil costs a lot more than liquid paraffin, for example, Mr Mehrotra said.
“The price of a bottle can vary from 40 rupee [about 50 cents] to 1,000 rupee for 10ml, depending on the base oil used,” he said.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
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Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
POSSIBLE ENGLAND EURO 2020 SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULTS
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Hugo Lebouc (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Karaginsky, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Sadeedd, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
3pm Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Blue Sovereign, Clement Lecoeuvre, Erwan Charpy.
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Bladesmith, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
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