Traditional Attars Explained: Majmua, Mukhallat, Khus, Mitti and More

Long before perfume came in spray bottles, India and the Arab world wore attars: fragrant oils made from flowers, woods, roots and resins. Many of the old names are still asked for today. Here is what each one means, what it smells like and when to wear it.

What “ruh” means

Ruh means soul or essence. On an attar label it marks the pure, concentrated form of a single material, so Ruh Gulab is the essence of rose and Ruh Khus the essence of vetiver root. Ruh attars are usually the most expensive in a range because so much raw material goes into a small amount of oil.

Majmua

Majmua means a collection. Traditionally it is a blend of several attars aged together, which is why it smells rounded rather than of any single flower. It is soft, floral, musky and woody, and a favourite everyday attar. Try our Majmua Attar (from ₹99) or the Majmua Pure Perfume spray (from ₹249).

Mukhallat

Mukhallat is Arabic for mixed or blended. A mukhallat is a composed blend, often of rose, oud, amber and musk, made to be richer than any one ingredient. See Ruh Mukhallat (from ₹749).

Khus

Khus is vetiver, the grass whose roots are woven into cooling summer screens. As an attar it smells green, earthy and cool, like wet roots after watering. It is the classic summer attar. See Ruh Khus (from ₹369).

Gulab (rose)

Rose is the best-loved attar of all, from wedding days to daily prayer. Ruh Gulab is the pure essence: deep, honeyed and true to the flower. See Ruh Gulab (from ₹749), or the gentler French Rose Attar.

Sandal (chandan)

Sandalwood is creamy, soft and woody, and it is the traditional base that many Indian attars are built on. It is calm enough for pooja and work alike. See Ruh Sandal (from ₹499), Sandal Maliki (from ₹749) and Sandal Special (from ₹299).

Shamama

Shamama is the great winter attar: a dense, warm blend of many herbs, spices and resins, traditionally built up over a long process. It smells dark, spicy and comforting. See Shamama Amber Attar (from ₹149) and Ruh Shamama Amber (from ₹749).

Hina

Hina is built around henna, with warm florals and spices. It is earthy and glowing, worn in winter and the monsoon. Our Hina Attar (from ₹149) layers henna, jasmine and rose over sandalwood.

Mogra (Arabian jasmine)

Mogra is the small white jasmine strung into gajras. As an attar it is bright, sweet and heady, a summer evening in a bottle. See Attar Full (Mogra) (from ₹99) and Ruh Jasmine (from ₹749).

Mitti

Mitti attar captures the smell of the first rain on dry earth. It is famously made in Kannauj by distilling baked clay. We do not stock a mitti attar at the moment. If you love earthy scents, Ruh Khus is the closest in our range.

Kasturi

Kasturi is the old name for musk. The original came from the musk deer, which is now protected, so modern musk attars are made without it. We do not sell an attar under the kasturi name. Our musk collection has the soft, skin-like musks that kasturi is loved for.

Which to wear when

In summer, reach for khus, gulab and mogra. In winter, reach for shamama, hina and oud. Majmua, sandal and musk suit every season. Perfume for summer and winter goes deeper, and you can browse all our natural attars.