World’s second most-selling perfume has Mughal connection, It’s built on love story, sells... every hour

Can a fragrance survive for centuries? Can a perfume become a symbol of history, love and culture? If the answer is 'yes', then it can only be Shalimar! More than 100 years have passed, but even today, Shalimar sells at least 108 bottles every hour. This is not an ordinary perfume, but a fragrance that is ruling from Mughal India to the fashion world of Paris.

Do you know that the inspiration for this perfume is linked to Mumtaz Mahal? 

The idea of ​​creating this historical perfume came to Jacques Guerlain when he heard about one of the most iconic love stories of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Guerlain, known for making the best perfumes in the world, now wanted to create a perfume that would signify eternal love.

Guerlain learned about this love story while visiting the Maharaja in Paris. Shah Jahan was very devoted to his wife Mumtaz Mahal, for whom he built the Shalimar Gardens. When she died, he honoured her memory by building the Taj Mahal. Inspired by the emperor's devotion, he set out on a mission to create a perfume worthy of an empress - one that exuded passion and mystery and had the aura of a queen.

He experimented with many compounds to get that perfect scent. He poured over ingredients to perfect the creation. It included: velvety vanilla, sensual sandalwood, resinous benzoin, iris, patchouli, incense, and tonka bean.

The result was something extraordinary -- Shalimar, a sensual fragrance like nothing else the industry had ever created before.

Not just the scent, but the bottle design was also outstanding. It won the International Decorative Arts Exhibition award in Paris in 1925. The blue, fan-shaped bottle topper was inspired by a piece of silverware owned by the Guerlain family. The bottle was made of Baccarat crystal

Over the years, the perfume has been reinterpreted by many artists and photographers -- including Helmut Newton, Jean-Paul Goude and Peter Lindbergh.

Today, this beautiful fragrance continues to evolve and shows no sign of stopping, with 108 bottles being sold every hour worldwide.

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