From time immemorial, Ittars, also called as Attars or itrs, have the power to cut through the strongest walls, make soldiers put down their weapons and kings talk in poetry. But somewhere in the race of chasing foreign notes, ittars lost their supremacy. Esha Tiwari, the founder of The House of Kastoor, a fragrance label creating Modern Ittars, talks about the revival of these scents in the modern world.

Ittars are the world’s toughest and the purest form of perfumery which brought India a lot of fame and also envy. These are natural fragrances which are created with no alcohol or chemicals using the traditional methods of hydro distillation. The making of ittars is not just any process, but an art. But the scent of attar/ittar was considered stuck in time by the modern globetrotting Indians who are slowly becoming global citizens. The industry and thousands of makers who have spent their lifetime honing the art of attar making were slowly getting confined to magins with artificial perfumes taking the stage. While the tradition was still there, it was time to rescue it.

Kastoor is a humble attempt to bridge this gap and bring the fragrant culture back, with a modern twist.

Kastoor, a brand of “modern ittars”, offers a modern experience of distilled history. Exclusive ittar blends which cater to the modern scent sensibilities created after months of trials and research. Made through traditional methods of hydrodistillation, the ittars are without any alcohol and chemicals, using pure extracts, reinventing the oldest and the purest form of perfumery for the modern world & heralding the culture of clean fragrances in India.

From ingredients to manufacturing, the entire process is based in India. By offering “modern ittars”, the brand gives a contemporary edge to numerous attar craftsmanship currently, changing the course of their livelihoods. At the helm of a cultural renaissance through scents, Kastoor is helping a dying industry flourish by giving a contemporary edge to the workers who aren’t introduced to the world of machines and in turn brings the modern Indians a piece of India’s fragrant heritage.

The brand offers 5 variants of modern ittars. From the regal oudh to the delightful sweet flower mix, Kastoor caters to different modern fragrance types, still keeping the concoction very Indian at the same time. 5 exclusive concoctions that are traditional and modern at the same time. The design of the product is one of the most intriguing and unique creations in itself. The traditional attar bottles came in a non luxurious packaging of a plastic golden cap and a cheap glass bottle, discouraging consumers from taking pride in it and bragging about it in front of their friends or showing off as a collectible. Kastoor’s bottle packaging made the difference. The big wooden caps, with engraved frosted bottles, a chic design that soon everybody started flaunting on their social channels. While on one hand it gave a contemporary edge to the fine attar craftsmanship, on the other hand it gives a piece of one’s own heritage in the most fragrant and modern way to the consumer of today’s day and age.

Garnering a terrific response, Kastoor dispatched 500 orders in its 2nd month. And soon became a talk of the insta celebrities and spokespersons ranging from beauty to wellness to lifestyle and even received fantastic appreciation from many celebrated culture connoisseurs of India.

“There is nothing I enjoy more than discovering beautiful local brands that revive the tradition of a time past and so @houseofkastoor with its ethos of bringing back attar as a modern everyday perfume resonates deeply with me. The scent of gulab (Indian rose) with the headiness of Oudh makes this concoction fragrant with mystery, a little bit of magic and absolutely everything I love. @houseofkastoor you are heavenly”

Kasutav Dey, VP marketing of Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein & Arrow & TED speaker and a luxury connoisseur

“It’s absolutely divine. There is no other word for it”

Umang Vanshikha, a celebrated beauty influencer

“This smells incredible”

Mohicka Bose (@cosyquirk on instagram), a celebrated lifestyle influencer

“Obsessed with this perfume oil, it smells heavenly”

Sejal Goyal a renowned skin care expert