Harvest
Each ingredient has its season. Mogra is picked as buds in the evening. Vetiver roots are dug from riverbanks. For Mitti, discs of river clay are baked before the monsoon arrives. Nothing is distilled out of season.
The Craft
Deg and bhapka
Two copper vessels, a bamboo pipe and a distiller who reads the fire by hand.
Distil
The material goes into the deg with water, and the lid is sealed with clay. A wood fire is kept low and steady. Vapour rises through a bamboo pipe into the bhapka, which holds sandalwood oil and sits in cool water. The scent condenses into the oil. The distiller judges heat and timing by touch and sound.
Rest
New attar is sharp. It is left to settle until it rounds out. Patience is the one ingredient we never cut.
Seal
In Gurugram we compose the final oil, test it on skin over a full day, fill each flacon, and record its batch number so every bottle can be traced to where and when it was made.