24-04-2025
Javadhu – Tamil Nadu's Ubiquitous Perfume with an Elusive History
Originally made from sandalwood,
herbs
, and the aromatic secretions from civet cats,
Javadhu
powder has its roots in Siddha medicine and mentions in Sangam literature. Yet, there is no scientific documentation or official recognition of it.
Thyagaraja would begin his concerts only after applying Javadhu on his neck, says TV host and singer Anitha Kuppuswamy, who prepares her own brand of the perfumed powder. "It was considered to render positive energy. '
Poosama padamattanga
', they would say. It's also the favourite scent of Lord Muruga, who is called 'Javadu Priyan'."
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Javadhu, a reddish-orange powder, finds mention in the Sangam literature and continues to be made with the same basic ingredients, albeit in chemically preserved forms. "Sandalwood and pachakarpooram (edible camphor) are the main ingredients, besides additional options such as lotus stems, dried gooseberry, and arigam pullu (Bermuda grass)," says Anitha. "But nowadays, sawdust is often added for volume."
Ask for 'Javadhu' at any of the tiny stalls surrounding temples in South India, and you will be handed a tiny glass bottle with the powder. The garish stickers and cheap prices, at ₹80 to ₹100 for 10g, belie the power of this perfumed powder, which can give chemical deodorants a run for their money; the heady scent can fill a room and last a long time.
It is sold across the country and even exported, but surprisingly, there have been no concrete scientific studies on its origin or ingredients. Available evidence points to origins in Tamil Nadu or the Eastern Ghats, but there is no documentation of the process, except mentions in Sangam literature.
The powder has been associated with tribal communities since a major ingredient — punugu or the aromatic secretions from civet cats – was accessible only to them, says Olive King, Director of Biodiversity at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation. "During my childhood days in Madurai, I came across flower sellers associating with tribals who domesticated the civet cat. Ingredients sourced from wild animals are illegal now, and the chemical – ketone – is produced artificially."
Most of the manufacturing of Javadhu is done via cottage industries, at home, in temple towns such as Chidambaram and Kancheepuram, and not in an organised manner, says Mohammed Sadik, founder of Chennai-based Wanaromah perfumes. "It is one of the oldest forms of perfumery. Once confined to temples and traditions, it is now appreciated globally for its natural fragrance and spiritual appeal. We sell it in powder form to be reconstituted with natural oils. We would describe the top notes as floral and herbal, slightly camphoraceous, with the heart spicy, balsamic, and earthy, with a rich sandalwood and musk base."
In their paper on 'Javadhu powder fragrance finishing in textile materials' published in Research Gate, Anisha C Suraj and Nandhini Marimuthu write that while the exact recipe of Javadhu may vary, it typically includes a blend of natural ingredients sourced from plants as well as sandalwood and saffron. "Saffron contributes a rich, floral scent and a golden hue to the powder while agarwood, also known as oud, is a resinous wood that forms in the heartwood of certain species of trees in the Aquilaria genus. It has a deep, complex aroma with earthy, floral, and spicy notes," say the authors.
Herbs and spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vetiver are also included in Javadhu powder to enhance its fragrance and therapeutic properties, says the paper. To impart delicate and uplifting floral notes, extracts of jasmine, rose, lotus, and champaka are added, each contributing its unique aroma to the blend. Though there is no documented evidence for this, the Siddhas of Tamil Nadu, founders of one of India's earliest traditional medicinal systems, are said to be the first formulators.
The story goes that Bhogar, a master alchemist and one of the 18 original Siddhas, invented this aroma to offer to Lord Skanda during pooja and rituals. Bhogar, who was entrusted with the responsibility of protecting all herbs of the hilly areas of the state from misuse, is also said to have made the statue of Murugan in Palani Hills with nine types of herbs.
Bhoga Siddar's work on medicine and alchemy, Bogar Saptha Kaandam, is a compilation of texts on herbs, minerals, and medicinal preparations. The word Javadhu is said to mean "perfume from paradise'' but there is no documentation of it having originated in the Jawadhu Hills.
"There is evidence of Siddha caves in the Jawadhu Hills situated in the Eastern Ghats in Thiruvannamalai, but we can't be sure if the powder was named after the hills," says Rajendran Silambarasan, who has co-published a paper on the medicinal plants in the Jawadhu Hills in the journal National Library of Medicine. "These hills and surrounding ones are still known for a variety of medicinal herbs for ailments such as cold, cough, and snake bite, which are made and used by the Malayali tribes of the region," he says. The tribes are also involved in the making of various other herbal perfumes, and thus the possibility of Javadhu perfume being originally formulated here is high.
The powder and paste are exported across the world today as perfume and deodorant, and yet, it is not considered a product of Tamil Nadu, perhaps owing to the lack of documentation. For the same reason, no one has attempted to apply for a GI tag for the product either. "The exact area of origin is not clear, and it's a generic brand now, without any patents. Hence, it's difficult to try for a GI tag," says Sanjay Gandhi, IPR attorney. "It's not just Javadhu. There are many unique herbal powders which have originated from Tamil Nadu which should be recognised and protected."
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