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There’s something about a perfume or attar. A single whiff can lift a mood, trigger a memory or transport someone to a moment they thought they’d forgotten.
In the narrow lanes of Burrabazar in Kolkata, that feeling lingers inside Haji Khuda Buksh Nabi Buksh, an over 200-year-old attar shop where generations have bottled not just fragrance, but memory.
From everyday patrons to icons like Satyajit Ray and Rabindranath Tagore, countless visitors have walked through its doors, carrying away scents that echoed their time and persona.
Neyazuddin Allah Buksh, who now runs the eighth generation of the family business along with his nephew, Mushauddin Allahbuksh, traces its origins back to the early 1800s and recalls its journey to Kolkata.
“We came to Calcutta in 1800 with my great-grandfather Haji Sheikh Jaan Mohammad Sahab. Haji Khuda Buksh and Haji Nabi Buksh were the sons of Sheikh Sahab. We were originally from Lucknow, but business was struggling there due to constant wars with the British, revolts, and Independence movements. As a result, we moved to what was then the capital of India. Calcutta, being a major port for international trade, was an obvious choice,” he told My Kolkata.
The shop was originally located on Baithakkhana Road in Lebutala before moving to Burrabazar, where it has remained for the past 200 years.
Kolkata’s elite, including the zamindars and babus, had a taste for luxury and were keen connoisseurs of attar. This cultural milieu marked the beginning of the family’s trade and legacy as fragrance merchants in Kolkata.
Believed to have been derived from the Persian word itir (meaning perfume), attar is an essential oil harnessed from flowers, herbs, spices or other natural sources.
Not overly fancy or grand in appearance, the shop was once frequented by eminent personalities like Indian freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, lawyer and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan, literary stalwart Kazi Nazrul Islam, former President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s father Motilal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
When asked if he remembers any particular fragrances preferred by these personalities, Neyazuddin said, “I have seen Satyajit Ray as a little boy, so I don’t remember much. However, I have heard that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose liked the scent of rose, rajnigandha, and shamama, while rooh khhas was preferred by Tagore.”
Neyazuddin further notes that in the past decade or so, younger buyers have increasingly shown interest in attar. He adds that traditional scents continue to remain in demand, with affordability being a key factor, as attar starts at around Rs 100 for a 12ml bottle. Its long-lasting fragrance is one of its main appeals.
“I have never seen a perfume last more than 6-7 hours, whereas attars last up to 12 hours, which is why they are still preferred by the younger generation. Among young buyers, fragrances like musk, shaba and haiyati are popular,” he added.
And while attar remains the bedrock, experimentation continues.The family is developing natural, attar-inspired perfumes that last longer than conventional fragrances, a new addition to the store’s evolving identity.
Neyazuddin adds that his three daughters have learnt the craft from him, with his elder daughter, Nusrat Jahan, now launching Buksh Perfumes under the family’s parent brand, Haji Khuda Buksh Nabi Buksh.
Valued for being gentle on the body with no side effects, Haji Khuda Buksh Nabi Buksh supplies attars across India and operates its own workshops and factories in Kolkata and Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh.
Situated amid the chaos and clamour of busy streets, at Haji Khuda Buksh Nabi Buksh, history isn’t just preserved, it lingers in the air.
