French PhD scholar explores Mumbai for research on anthropology of odours

Lou Sompairac finds the local train an interesting site for her research the Nice resident explores the Khar market picsdatta kumbharPassing throughFor Lou Sompairac the local trains of Mumbai make for a fascinating repository for of her research ldquoIn the ladiesrsquo compartment there are all these women who travel with jasmine flowers in their hair They wear them until they are shrivelled and withering So in the evening you can smell a blend of fresh and dry flowers And with this sweet smell the wind from outside brings with it a blast of odours every time the train passes through a different areardquo shares the PhD scholar from the University of Nice FranceSompairac is in Mumbai for three weeks for her ongoing research into the anthropology of odours The study is comparative for which she travels to a new city every spring to meet individuals in the 18 to 35 age group to understand how they engage with everyday smells and how this implicit knowledge is rooted in as well as develops a given culture Her first stop was Beijing in 2017 and the threecity research will culminate in Sao Paulo next year This Saturday Sompairac will discuss her research at a conference organised by The Alliance Franccedilaise of BombayldquoThe olfactory sense is a great way of understanding human behaviour and habits It is a subconscious sense but when you dig deep into the lives of people through it the stories that emerge are fascinatingrdquo says the pani puriloving 28yearold as we wind our way through the lanes of Khar market soaking in the meacutelange of smells on offer from fresh mogra veni to the metallic whiff emanating from a row of shops selling ironware knickknacksFor her research she has interviewed 20 Mumbaikars so far by giving them unlabelled olfactory samples bergamot sandalwood ginger rosemary violet rose jasmine cotton candy household product lavender pear cedar leather benzoin with a questionnaire asking them to rate them on appeal strength of odour memory familiarity and useSompairac points out that in the last two weeks that she has spent in Mumbai she has been intrigued by how the everyday existence of its residents is etched in odours ldquoI met youngsters in Malvani many of whom are from the Muslim community The use of itter or attar is popular among them and there is a technique to applying it which is passed down the generationsrdquo she elaborates Even rituals come with a strong olfactory element The Maharashtrian tradition of Dhuri she says involves holding a newborn a few feet above herbinfused charcoal to clear the nasal passage If one has performed the ritual the aroma of carom seeds over embers is hard to forget ldquoPeople here are also waiting for the monsoon and many of them associate it with petrichor the pleasant smell accompanying first rains In fact this is one smell that many respondents counted among their favouriterdquo she addsWhile she is yet to analyse the data between Mumbai and Beijing she says the latterrsquos residents are far less accepting of strong odours because of the toxic fumes they are exposed to due to pollution ldquoMany of them look at shopping malls as a refuge from pollutionrdquo she saysSompairacrsquos olfactory markers for her own coastal city of Nice are the sea salt and the metallic notes of the tramway And what are the smells that sum up Mumbai ldquoThe combined aromas of what goes into a paantobacco fermented milk dhoop incense mixed with food and of course jasminerdquo she signs off ON May 12 1 pm to 230 pmAT Alliance Franccedilaise Auditorium Marine Lines cALL 22035993Catch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates