People of Madras
Ep. 09
Mohammed Sadik
Published on December 10, 2022
When one mentions Madras, what are the smells and scents it invokes? They might not all be pleasant, but home always holds a fragrant nostalgia. Scents are potent reminders of the past, and Mohamed Sadik of Wanaromah can attest to this. The parfumerie was started in 1933 by Mohamed Hanifa, from Vadakarai village, and the son is keen to keep the business within the family. The idea was conceived by a young Hanifa as he was travelling across countries. Particular about using herbal products himself, he wanted to integrate that into his business. The idea was born out of his desire to make perfumes using locally sourced fragrances. Named after the founder’s wife and a play on words, ‘want an aroma’ has evolved to a lyrical ‘Wanaromah’.
Sadik is proud of being Chennai-based, and the packaging displays a neatly printed ‘Made in Tamil Nadu’ tag. He adds that fragrant traditions (like agarbatti and sambrani smoke) are present in everyday Indian culture. “We were specifically in need of a perfume that catered to our climate, the specific odours emitted by our bodies (influenced by our spicy food habits), and one that is intensely long-lasting.”
Malli, marikozhundhu, and thazhampoo are some indigenous Tamil flowers that were once derived as pure scents, he says, but it is difficult to maintain 100% purity with the current compositions, as scents must be diluted and diversified to create complex notes. The shop holds scents from 25 to 28 olfactory families; more exist, but this is what is held in-store and used for their blends. They hope to continue the rich aromatic traditions of India, blending local and modern scents to create customised perfumes.
One can also notice beautifully crafted attar bottles lining the upper shelves, small bottles used to hold perfumed oils. Antiques belonging to his father’s personal collection, older than the proprietor himself and definitely not for sale, he added!
Dare we say, noses can be considered the keepers of histories in some sense — they hold reminders to the history of ‘you’!
🖋 Muna Buhari
