Rose Water Distillation of Kannauj Uttar Pradesh

Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh is India fragrance capital, producing rose water (gulab jal), ittar perfumes, and essential oils through the ancient deg-bhapka hydro-distillation method. In deg-bhapka, fresh rose petals are loaded into a copper deg (still), water is added, and the vessel is sealed and heated. The steam passes through bamboo pipes into a bhapka receiver submerged in cold water, condensing as rose water. The process preserves the volatile aromatic compounds that are lost in steam distillation. Rose water from Kannauj is used in food, cosmetics, religious rituals, and traditional medicine. The GI for Kannauj ittar has been filed. Kannauj supplies rose water to perfume houses in France, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. The damask rose (Rosa damascena) cultivation in Ghazipur and Hathras districts supplies the Kannauj distilleries. About 200 small distilleries operate in the Kannauj region.