The Process of Deg Bhapka Method: An Ancient Art 

What Is the Deg Bhapka Method?

The Deg Bhapka method is one of the oldest and most natural ways to distill absolute oils, essential oils, rosewater, and attars. It originated in Kannauj, a city in India often called the “Perfume Capital of India”.

 This process uses hydro distillation through copper stills and bamboo pipes, without using any harmful chemicals.

The result?

 Pure, therapeutic-grade oils and attars with an aroma that lasts and heals.

Historical Origins and Cultural Significance

The Deg Bhapka method showed its root to ancient civilizations, with evidence suggesting its use in India and Persia over 1,000 years ago. Historical texts mention the technique being used in the courts of Mughal emperors, where master distillers created exquisite attars for royalty.

This traditional distillation method played a crucial role in the development of aromatherapy and natural medicine systems like Ayurveda and Unani. Ancient physicians recognized that slowly distilled oils retained therapeutic properties that quick extraction methods could not preserve.

The cultural significance extends beyond mere production techniques. In many traditional societies, the Deg Bhapka process was considered a sacred art. Distillers would often begin their work with prayers and maintain specific rituals throughout the process, believing that the distiller’s intention and spiritual state influenced the final product’s quality.

Today, this ancient wisdom finds renewed relevance as consumers seek authentic, traditionally crafted products that connect them to natural healing traditions.

Understanding the Deg Bhapka Method

The Deg Bhapka method is a form of hydro distillation that uses simple, yet effective, tools:

• Deg (Copper Still): A large copper vessel where the raw materials (flowers, herbs) are placed with water.
• Sarpos (Lid): Seals the Deg, ensuring steam doesn’t escape.
• Chonga (Bamboo Pipe): Connects the Deg to the Bhapka, allowing steam to pass through.
• Bhapka (Receiver): Contains sandalwood oil to absorb the aromatic compounds.
• Gachchi (Cooling Tank): Keeps the Bhapka cool, aiding in condensation.
• Kuppi (Leather Bottle): Stores the final attar, allowing it to mature and settle.

This method is admired for its ability to extract fragrances without the use of synthetic chemicals, preserving the natural integrity of the botanicals.

How the Deg Bhapka Process Works: Step-By-Step

Step 1: Filling the Copper Deg

Fresh flowers, herbs, or roots (like rose, vetiver, sandalwood) are placed into a copper vessel called a Deg. Water is added.

Step 2: Sealing with Clay

The Deg is sealed with a lid and natural clay to make it airtight.

Step 3: Heating the Vessel

The Deg is slowly heated using cow dung or wood, generating steam. This steam holds the plant’s aromatic compounds.

Step 4: Passing Through Bamboo Pipe

The steam passes through a bamboo pipe (Chonga) into another container called Bhapka, which holds sandalwood oil or water.

Step 5: Cooling and Condensation

The Bhapka is kept in cold water (Gachchi), causing the steam to cool and condense into oil and water.

Step 6: Separation and Collection

The oil mixes with sandalwood or settles on water. It is carefully separated and collected in a leather bottle called Kuppi for aging.

This process may be repeated for several hours and some time days to enhance aroma and quality.

Advantages of the Deg Bhapka Method

• Superior Quality
  The slow, gentle process preserves delicate aromatic compounds that high temperature industrial methods often destroy. This results in essential oils with more complex aromatic profiles and better therapeutic properties.
  
• Complete Utilisation
  Traditional distillation often produces both essential oils and high quality aromatic waters (Hydrosols) like rose water, maximising the value extracted from plant materials.
  
• Chemical Free Process
  The method uses only heat, steam, and traditional materials, avoiding chemical solvents or synthetic additives that might contaminate the final products.
  
• Sustainability
  Traditional equipment lasts for generations with proper care, and the process uses renewable energy sources like wood or solar heating.
  
• Artisanal Quality
  Each batch reflects the skill and attention of the master distiller, creating products with unique characteristics that mass production cannot replicate.
  
• Therapeutic Properties
  The low-temperature, extended distillation process maintains the molecular integrity of therapeutic compounds, resulting in essential oils with superior healing properties for aromatherapy and wellness applications.
  
• Cultural Preservation
  Using traditional methods helps preserve ancient knowledge and supports communities that have maintained these skills for generations, keeping cultural heritage alive.
  
• Cost-Effective Long-term Investment
  While initial setup requires investment, traditional equipment requires minimal maintenance and operates without electricity or complex machinery, making it economically sustainable over decades.

Modern Applications and MYSÀ Organic

At MYSÀ Organic, we recognize the irreplaceable value of traditional distillation methods. While we embrace modern quality control and testing techniques, our production philosophy respects the wisdom in the Deg Bhapka method.

Our Essential oils, including Lavender, Tea tree, Rosemary, and Eucalyptus, benefit from careful distillation processes that preserve their therapeutic properties. Our Rose water, a product in our collection, exemplifies the superior quality achievable through traditional methods.

The Natural Ittars/Attars in our collection, including Kesar Chandan, Gulab, Oudh, and Sandalwood represent the traditional distillation artistry. These concentrated aromatic oils require the patience and skill that only traditional methods can provide.

Conclusion

The Deg Bhapka method stands as a statement to human imagination and the timeless pursuit of excellence. This ancient distillation technique continues to produce some of the world’s finest Essential oils, Attars, and Hydrosols, proving that sometimes the old ways remain the best ways.

At MYSÀ Organic, our commitment to traditional methods ensures that each bottle of Essential oil, Attar, and Rose water carries the essence of this ancient wisdom. By choosing traditionally distilled products, you’re not just selecting superior quality, you’re participating in the preservation of a cultural heritage that spans millennia.

The next time you experience the pure aroma of traditionally distilled Rose water or the notes of a Attar, remember the artisans who maintain this ancient art, bridging the gap between our ancestral wisdom and modern wellness needs.

Experience the difference of traditionally crafted aromatics with MYSÀ Organic’s collection of Essential oils, Attars, and Rose water, where ancient wisdom meets modern quality standards.

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Pinterest