Archive · 18 Jun 2025
Kolkata's Oldest Attar Shop: A 200-Year-Old Family Legacy
Imagine a shop in Kolkata that has been selling attar (perfume) for 200 years!
The shop owner, Neyazuddin Allah Bukhsh, says attar is in his blood.
His family started in Awadh and moved to Calcutta because of British rule.
Attar is made from flowers, and the method is very old, dating back to ancient times.
Famous people like Motilal Nehru used to visit the shop.
Unlike modern perfumes, attar lasts a long time and is handmade.
Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh is Kolkata's oldest attar shop, established 200 years ago.
The shop's origins trace back to Awadh, with the family moving to Calcutta in the 1800s.
Attar's origins are rooted in Ayurveda, with distillation techniques dating back centuries.
The shop has served notable figures including Motilal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose.
Attar is made by distilling flower petals, and it lasts longer than modern perfumes.
- Who
- Neyazuddin Allah Bukhsh, the eighth generation to run the shop.
- What
- The story of Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh, Kolkata's oldest attar shop.
- When
- Established 200 years ago, the shop's origins date back to the 1800s.
- Where
- Kolkata, India, with origins in Awadh (Lucknow).
- Why
- To provide traditional attar, upholding a family legacy and catering to a devoted customer base.
Customer Opinion
Shopkeeper's Skill
Customer's Choice
Customer Opinion
Attar is chosen based on customer's mood and desire. Women love lavender and jasmine.
Shopkeeper's Skill
Customers may look for attars to woo their beloved, others are nursing a broken heart.
- Shop Name
- Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh
- Location
- Maulana Shaukat Ali Street, Calcutta
- Years in Business
- 200 years
- Origin
- Awadh (Lucknow)
- Key Products
- Attar
- Notable Visitors
- Motilal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose