Lucknow, Apr 12 (IANS): In a major boost for thr famous perfume industry of Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of an international perfume museum and park at Kannauj.

The project would provide a world-class platform to the ittar (perfume) manufacturers to showcase their age-old skills and to upgrade their skills according to the changing times, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Mahesh Kumar Gupta told IANS.

Once the project is completed it would rejuvenate the old glory of Kannauj as a fragrance hub besides increasing the export of locally made perfumes, he said.

To be developed by Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC), the project includes a special perfume manufacturing zone in Kannauj for modern distillation and extraction units in addition to international perfume museum, which will house various varieties of fragrances.

Kannauj has traditionally been a manufacturing centre for natural perfumes and essence which are prepared from flowers and natural extracts oil.

Different kinds of products such as mehendi paste, body oil, ayurvedic medicines, gulkand are made from fragrance and essence of flowers like rose and jasmine.

Kannauj is the parliamentary constituency of the chief minister's wife, Dimple Yadav.