Losing Attar

16/06/2024 26 min
Losing Attar

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Episode Synopsis

Podcast: The Documentary Podcast (LS 66 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: Losing AttarPub date: 2024-06-14Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationAttar is the essential oil that is produced when aromatics like jasmine and sandalwood are pressed and distilled. It has been a feature of life in India, as well as many other parts of the world, for over 5,000 years, and it has been the defining industry of the Indian city of Kannauj for over a thousand. But whereas once this ancient discipline employed nearly all the city’s residents, it’s now suffering severely from the impact of climate change and the rise of synthetic perfumes. Journalist Jigyasa Mishra meets the farmers, flower pickers and traditional perfumers of Kannauj to better understand the way of life attar sustains and to ask: can anything be done to reverse the trend?Producers: Jigyasa Mishra and Artemis IrvineA Whistledown Production for BBC World ServiceThe podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC World Service, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.