History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c19.35

v1.c19.35

So far we have collected information regarding the use of scents and cosmetics from various literary sources, which tends to show that they were very popular and were extensively used in ancient India. The reference of *gandhataila*, scented oil, in the *Rāmāyaṇa*, the use of the term *gandhayukti* in the works of the Buddhist era and the statement in the *Pañcatantra* regarding the trade in perfumery and cosmetics being the best of all, suggest that there must have existed a treatise on the specific technique of the manufacture of different items of perfumery and cosmetics, mentioned in the ancient literary works.