From herbs to iconic beverage: Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed's sweet journey with Rooh Afza
Rooh Afza is one of India's most popular refreshment drinks. Many people remember Rooh Afza and its rosy flavour with summer memories from their childhood.
Last month, Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by the makers of Dil Afza Sharbat, the sale of which had been halted by a Delhi High Court. The Hamdard Foundation, the makers of the popular Rooh Afza sharbat, filed a trademark infringement suit, claiming that the Dil Afza product was deceptively similar to Rooh Afza.
The supreme court panel, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, stated that the high court's ruling was right and that they would not want to interfere.
The court said that "Rooh Afza has a well-established reputation across India and suddenly you sell some medicines and in 2020 you start selling some Sharbat...Division Bench has held correctly...We will not interfere. Dismissed.”
Today let’s get to know about the man behind legendary Rooh Afza - Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed.
Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed founded Hamdard, which created Rooh Afza as a herbal drink to help people stay cool in the summer.
Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed | Education and Career
The story of Rooh Afza began before India gained independence. Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed, born in 1883, explored the origins of the Urdu and Persian languages. He went on to earn the highest degree in the unani system of medicine.
He decided to open a herbal shop at House Qazi in Delhi in 1906. His modest shop became a production house in 1920. Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed created a drink to combat heat strokes using herbs and syrups from traditional Unani medicines. He named it Rooh Afza, which means "something that refreshes the soul" in Urdu.
He made drinks out of a variety of Greek and indigenous ingredients. Rooh Afza was made with a variety of Greek herbs including chixar, grapes, oranges, watermelon, rose, and kewra, among other ingredients. Rooh Afza was once available in the dispensary only, and people would go there to purchase it in utensils.
Mirza Noor Ahmad, an artist, created the Rooh Afza labels in several colours in 1910. Because there were no coloured printers at the time, it was printed under a special arrangement by the Bolton Press of the Parsees of Bombay (Mumbai).
Journey of Rooh Afza
The partition of India in 1947 played a vital role in Rooh Afza's journey. Hakim Abdul Majeed's eldest son decided to remain in India, but his younger sibling, Mohammad Saeed, went to live in Pakistan. He founded Hamdard in two rooms in Karachi and the business quickly flourished. According to Hakim Mohammad Said's daughter, Sadia Rashid, her father gave the business to the people of Bangladesh following their independence in 1971.
Having said that, Rooh Afza's fame grew in India. The bottles were designed in Germany and were initially released in glass bottles before being switched to plastic. Due to a lack of herbs required to produce the drink, Rooh Afza encountered a supply shortfall in 2019.
According to Startup Sky, despite the fact that relations between India and Pakistan are strained, the bottles of Rooh Afza are imported from Pakistan and the drink is prepared entirely in India. This way, it is an Indian drink.
Rooh Afza gradually introduced new items to the market. Over the years, Rooh Afza has introduced products such as Pachnaul, Safi, and Rogan Badam Shirin.
Its first factory was established in Old Delhi in 1940. Then, in 1971, production began in Ghaziabad, and in 2014, a new facility was established in Manesar, Gurugram.
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- PTC NEWS
