Where Bangalore Became the
Capital of Indian Incense
Old Bangalore · The Pettah · The Mysore Kingdom
Under the reign of the Maharaja of Mysore, the fragrance trade of South India reached heights that would leave a mark on the world. The incense industry was not merely commerce — it was an art form under royal patronage, and at its very heart was a small quarter of Bangalore known as the Pettah.
The Pettah — in the heart of the ancient fort area of Bangalore — became the undisputed centre of incense and perfumery for the entire subcontinent. Master craftsmen, distillers, resin merchants and attar makers gathered here under the shelter of the royal court, transforming raw botanicals — agarwood, sandalwood, resins, gums, musks — into fragrances of extraordinary refinement.
What was once the exclusive Pettah quarter has today transformed into the vibrant, bustling City Market area of Bangalore — the great bazaar where the fragrant traditions live on, side by side with the commerce of a modern Indian city. The old streets still carry the memory of smoke and sandalwood in their stones.
Royal Pettah is our tribute to the master craftsmen of that era — the stalwarts of the fragrant fraternity whose skill and dedication brought Indian incense to worldwide recognition. Each fragrance in this series is composed with the same exquisite natural perfumery raw materials — resinoids, gums, precious resins and fine fragrance compounds — that once filled the workshops of the Pettah.
