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Business News/ Mint-lounge / Features/  Smells like Lounge spirit
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Smells like Lounge spirit

A talk on India's olfactory history by William Dalrymple, an interactive scent station and a guided tasting of single maltshere are the high notes from the first Lounge Weekender in Delhi last week

William Dalrymple during his talk on India’s history of olfactory. Photo: Photographs: Pradeep Gaur/MintPremium
William Dalrymple during his talk on India’s history of olfactory. Photo: Photographs: Pradeep Gaur/Mint

When you’re surrounded by some of the world’s best jasmine sambac extracted and bottled, the atmosphere has to be heady. It was an evening when rain threatened to play spoilsport, but the audience at the first Lounge Weekender on 1 September at New Delhi’s Lodhi hotel was spellbound by the mix of sight, smell and taste.

Historian and author William Dalrymple took the audience down an ittar trail with a talk that focused on how India was both famed and envied for its mastery of the art and science of perfumery. He spoke about the Ni’matnama, or the Book Of Delights. Written in the 15th century, the treatise, said Dalrymple, brought together two of the ancient world’s most refined traditions of perfumery: Persia and Arabia, and India.

Contemporary boutique fragrance houses such as Bombay Perfumery are now translating this rich tradition into a veritable business. At the event, the brand tested guests with a perfume quiz, in which they had to guess the notes of their premium fragrances—from the spicy aromas of Calicut to the woodiness of 1020 and the floral indulgence of Madurai Talkies.

Taking the evening of indulgence forward, wine and spirits consultant Anand Virmani emphasized the “high" and “low" notes in whisky with a tasting session that involved 15- and 18-year-old expressions of Glenfiddich.

The action moved indoors for dinner with dishes such as Nizami Murgh Qorma, Jasmine Rice and Matcha Tiramisu.

Inspired by the 15th century Lodhi dynasty and now an embodiment of contemporary luxury and finesse, The Lodhi hotel was the perfect backdrop for an evening that hit all the right notes.

The entrance to the first of the many Lounge Weekenders
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The entrance to the first of the many Lounge Weekenders
Kalyani Saha Chawla (left) and Rajan Anandan.
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Kalyani Saha Chawla (left) and Rajan Anandan.
Anand Virmani during the whisky tasting session.
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Anand Virmani during the whisky tasting session.
Dayanita Singh with Radhika Chopra (2nd right).
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Dayanita Singh with Radhika Chopra (2nd right).
Bombay Perfumery’s Manan Gandhi.
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Bombay Perfumery’s Manan Gandhi.
Mayank Mansingh Kaul.
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Mayank Mansingh Kaul.
Lawyers Anup (left) and Nisha Bhambhani (centre).
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Lawyers Anup (left) and Nisha Bhambhani (centre).
Mihir Sharma and Chiki Sarkar (right).
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Mihir Sharma and Chiki Sarkar (right).
Swapan Seth (centre)
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Swapan Seth (centre)
Raghavendra Rathore, Priti Mahajan and Suhel Seth.
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Raghavendra Rathore, Priti Mahajan and Suhel Seth.
Peter and Cécile D’Ascoli (centre) with Gunjan Gupta (right).
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Peter and Cécile D’Ascoli (centre) with Gunjan Gupta (right).
Shivani and Sahil Malik, promoters, Da Milano.
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Shivani and Sahil Malik, promoters, Da Milano.
As the evening progressed, guests moved inside to Elan at The Lodhi for dinner.
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As the evening progressed, guests moved inside to Elan at The Lodhi for dinner.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nitin Sreedhar
Nitin writes about science and technology for Mint Lounge. He also occaisionally reports on the environment, space and sports. He's an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi. He loves trying new craft beer, and closely follows football, Formula 1 and kabaddi.
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Published: 08 Sep 2017, 02:33 PM IST
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