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{{Short description|Fruit drink in the Indian sub-continent}}
{{about|the drink|the 2021 Hindi film|Roohi Afza}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox product
| title = Rooh Afza
| image = Rooh-afza-logo.jpg
| caption = Rooh Afza logo
| type = Concentrated herbal, [[Squash (drink)]]
| inventor = Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed
| inception =
| launch year = {{start date and age|df=yes|1906
}}
| company = Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories
| slogan = ''Drink of the East''
| manufacturer = [[Hamdard India]], [[Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Pakistan]], [[Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Bangladesh]]
| available = [[Indian subcontinent]]
| current supplier =
| last production =
| url =
| notes =
}}

'''Rooh Afza''' ({{langx|ur| {{Nastaliq|روح افزا}}}}; {{langx|hi|रूह अफ़ज़ा}}; {{langx|bn|রূহ আফজা}}; {{lit|Soul Refresher}}) is a drink which is a [[concentrate]]d [[Squash (drink)|squash]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Raza |first1=Syed Qasim |title=Rooh Afza: the eternal elixir of the east |url=https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1143000/rooh-afza-the-eternal-elixir-of-the-east |work=Aurora |date=19 May 2018 |access-date=17 April 2021 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417183827/https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1143000/rooh-afza-the-eternal-elixir-of-the-east |url-status=live }}</ref> It was formulated and introduced in 1906 in the Indian city of [[Ghaziabad]] by Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed.<ref name="Qrius2019">{{Cite web |date=2019-05-11 |title=In India, Rooh Afza lovers rejoice as the drink returns to shelves in time for Ramadan |url=https://qrius.com/in-india-rooh-afza-lovers-rejoice-as-the-drink-returns-to-shelves-in-time-for-ramadan/amp/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=Qrius |archive-date=7 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807111836/https://qrius.com/in-india-rooh-afza-lovers-rejoice-as-the-drink-returns-to-shelves-in-time-for-ramadan/amp/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=News18/><ref name="Ham">[https://www.hamdard.com.pk/consumer_brand/detail/16] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107093752/http://hamdard.com.pk/consumer_brand/detail/16|date=7 November 2018}}[https://www.hamdard.com.pk/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526185854/https://www.hamdard.com.pk/|date=26 May 2018}} Introduction-history Hamdard Rooh Afza</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/181415/hamdards-rooh-afza-iconic-drink-india-history-partition/|title=How Hamdard's Ruby-Hued Refresher Became an Indian Summer Staple|date=2019-05-08|website=The Better India|language=en-US|access-date=26 April 2020|archive-date=28 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928193404/https://www.thebetterindia.com/181415/hamdards-rooh-afza-iconic-drink-india-history-partition/|url-status=live}}</ref> Currently, Rooh Afza is manufactured by the companies founded by him and his sons, including [[Hamdard India]] (the parent company), as well as [[Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Pakistan]] and [[Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Bangladesh]].<ref name="Experss2022"/> Since 1948, the company has been manufacturing the product in [[India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]].<ref name=News18>[https://www.news18.com/news/india/family-rift-behind-disappearance-of-favourite-summer-drink-rooh-afza-but-company-denies-2133949.html Family Rift Behind Disappearance of Favourite Summer Drink Rooh Afza, But Company Denies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107233303/https://www.news18.com/news/india/family-rift-behind-disappearance-of-favourite-summer-drink-rooh-afza-but-company-denies-2133949.html |date=7 November 2020 }} NEWS 18 INDIA website, Published 9 May 2019, Retrieved 4 May 2020</ref>

Other companies formulate the same un-patented recipe in these countries as well, and similar drinks are consumed in the Indian subcontinent during the summer, such as Khas Sharbat.<ref name="Tyagi2023">{{cite web |last1=Tyagi |first1=Tashika |title=Did You Know Your Beloved Rooh Afza Actually Originated A Century Back In Old Delhi? |url=https://www.whatshot.in/delhi-ncr/did-you-know-your-beloved-rooh-afza-actually-originated-a-century-back-in-old-delhi-c-41942 |publisher=[[The Times Group]] |access-date=16 April 2026 |language=en |date=4 July 2023 |quote=The recipe of Rooh Afza remains un-patented and that’s why you can find many similar drinks in the market.}}</ref> The name and brand of '''Rooh Afza''' is a trademark of Hamdard, by court decision in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaddha |first=Shreya |date=2023-01-09 |title='Rooh Afza' has Immense Goodwill: Delhi HC Rules in Trademark Infringement Case |url=https://foxmandal.in/rooh-afza-has-immense-goodwill-delhi-hc-rules-in-trademark-infringement-case/ |access-date=2026-04-16 |website=Fox Mandal |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Explained {{!}} What is the Delhi HC verdict on ‘Rooh Afza’ trademark? |url=https://www.thehindu.com/specials/text-and-context/explained-what-is-the-delhi-hc-verdict-on-rooh-afza-trademark/article66308463.ece |access-date=2026-04-16 |website=www.thehindu.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-09 |title=Rooh Afza v. Dil Afza: A Classic Case of Deceptive Similarity – NLIU Cell for Studies in Intellectual Property Rights |url=https://csipr.nliu.ac.in/trademark/rooh-afza-v-dil-afza-a-classic-case-of-deceptive-similarity/ |access-date=2026-04-16 |language=en}}</ref> The specific [[Unani medicine#Unani medicine|Unani]] recipe of Rooh Afza combines several ingredients (including thirteen herbs) popularly thought to be cooling agents,<ref name="Schwartz2021">{{cite web |last1=Schwartz |first1=Ralph |title=What Is Rooh Afza And What Does It Taste Like? |url=https://www.mashed.com/379179/what-is-rooh-afza-and-what-does-it-taste-like/ |publisher=Mashed |access-date=15 April 2026 |date=10 April 2021|quote=Rooh Afza is a concoction of 13 herbs invented in India in 1906, and it became a staple in Pakistan and Bangladesh, too, as the Indian subcontinent experienced one political division after another.}}</ref> such as rose, which is used as a remedy for [[Loo (wind)|loo]] (the hot summer winds of the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]]).<ref name="Experss2022">{{cite web |title=Hamdard India head on why Rooh Afza is an Indian drink: ‘It is older than Pakistan and Bangladesh’ |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/rooh-afza-hamdard-india-head-rooh-afza-drink-indian-drink-pakistan-bangladesh-cooling-properties-history-partition-8151095/ |publisher=The Indian Express |access-date=15 April 2026 |language=en |date=14 September 2022|quote=Rooh Afza has been a much-loved cooling drink consumed by people across the length and breadth of the country for generations — especially during the unforgiving summer months and at the time of Ramzan, when there is both fasting as well as feasting. Its consumption, however, is not limited to India. People of Pakistan are big Rooh Afza drinkers, too, as are those living in Bangladesh, both of which are neighbours to India and were carved out of it during the Partition of 1947.}}</ref><ref name="Saraswat2026">{{cite web |last1=Saraswat |first1=Aditi |title=Rose Day 2026: How Roses Have Always Been Part Of The Indian Diet |url=https://www.slurrp.com/article/rose-day-2026-how-roses-have-always-been-part-of-the-indian-diet-1770038612006 |publisher=Slurrp |access-date=15 April 2026 |language=en |date=6 February 2026}}</ref> The drink is also associated with the month of [[Ramadan]], in which it is usually consumed during [[iftar]].<ref name="Experss2022"/> It is sold commercially as a syrup to flavour [[Sharbat (beverage)|sherbets]], cold milk drinks, ices, and cold desserts such as the popular [[falooda]].<ref name="panda2004">{{Citation | title=Handbook on Ayurvedic Medicines with Formulae, Processes and Their Uses | author=H. Panda | year=2004 | publisher=National Institute of Industrial Research | isbn=81-86623-63-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=64s1LkjmPmQC | quote=''... When we keep in mind the many qualities Rooh Afza's ingredients described above, it is easy to understand why it has been found to be an exceptionally appropriate summer drink ...'' }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The [[Hindustani language|Hindi-Urdu]] name ''Rooh Afza'' is sometimes translated as "refresher of the soul".<ref>{{cite web |title=Rooh Afza GO & design — 2184405 |url=https://ised-isde.canada.ca/cipo/trademark-search/2184405?wbdisable=true |publisher=[[Government of Canada]] |access-date=15 April 2026 |language=The translation provided by the applicant of the HINDI word(s) ROOH AFZA is SOUL REFRESHER. |date=3 May 2024}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> It is said that this name was made up by the original formulator of the drink, with possible cultural influences.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roohafzabd.com/rooh-afza-history/english-version.html|title=Rooh Afza History English|website=www.roohafzabd.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-12-15|archive-date=14 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514083235/http://www.roohafzabd.com/rooh-afza-history/english-version.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref name=News18/>

==History==
[[File:Eine Flasche Rooh Afza.JPG|thumb|200px|A bottle of Rooh Afza.]]
[[File:Afza Syrup (Lal sharbat).JPG|thumb|200px|A [[Sharbat (beverage)|sharbat]] drink made from Rooh Afza syrup.]]
Rooh Afza was founded by Hamdard's founder Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed in [[Ghaziabad]], [[British Raj|British India]], and launched from the nearby city of [[Old Delhi]].<ref name="Qrius2019"/> In 1906, he wanted to create a [[Herbal medicine|herbal mix]] that would help Delhi's people stay cool in the summer. He selected herbs and syrups from traditional [[Unani medicine]] and created a drink that would help counter heat strokes and prevent dehydration in people. An artist, Mirza Noor Ahmad, designed the labels of Rooh Afza in many colours in 1910. Progress in development and refining the original recipe continued all along until the final drink emerged.<ref name=News18/><ref name="Tyagi2023"/>

After Majeed's death 15 years later, his wife Rabea Begum established a charitable trust in the name of herself and her two sons.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|title=Across Borders and Divides, One Heavenly Refresher Cools Summer Heat|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/business/india-drink-rooh-afza.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=7 July 2021|accessdate=7 July 2021|archive-date=7 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707090616/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/business/india-drink-rooh-afza.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the [[partition of India]] in 1947, while the elder son, [[Hakim Abdul Hameed]], stayed in independent [[India]] – the younger son, [[Hakim Mohammad Saeed]], migrated to the newly created state of [[Pakistan]] on 9 January 1948 and started a separate Hamdard Company from two rooms in the [[Aram Bagh, Karachi|Arambagh area]] of [[Karachi]].<ref name=News18/><ref name=":0">{{cite news|title=Rooh Afza, the syrup that sweetens the subcontinent's summers|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/rooh-afza-the-syrup-that-sweetens-the-subcontinent-s-summers-1.462271/|newspaper=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)]] (newspaper)|date=27 April 2012|access-date=26 April 2020|archive-date=29 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629142249/http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/south-asia/rooh-afza-the-syrup-that-sweetens-the-subcontinents-summers|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hamdard Pakistan]] finally became profitable in 1953. Hakim Mohammad Said had opened a branch of Hamdard in the former [[East Pakistan]]. According to [[Hakim Mohammad Said]]'s daughter, [[Sadia Rashid]], chairperson of [[Hamdard Pakistan]] in 2019, her father gifted the business to the people of [[Bangladesh]] after their [[Independence of Bangladesh|independence]] from Pakistan in 1971.<ref name=News18/>

In 2010, Indian chef [[Nita Mehta]] and Indian film actress [[Juhi Chawla]] were hired for promotional activities by [[Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories|Hamdard Laboratories]] to create new mocktail and dessert recipes for Rooh Afza, their all-season summer drink, which was used in a new marketing campaign.<ref name=HT>{{cite news|title=Hamdard gives century-old Rooh Afza a facelift|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/hamdard-gives-century-old-rooh-afza-a-facelift/story-glWF6VDU3oe14qPHT9zb8J.html|accessdate=26 April 2020|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|date=28 June 2010|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423154300/https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/hamdard-gives-century-old-rooh-afza-a-facelift/story-glWF6VDU3oe14qPHT9zb8J.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Indian company [[Dabur]] produces Rooh Afza under the brand 'Sherbat-i-Azam'.<ref>{{cite book | last=Baisya | first=Rajat K. | title=Changing Face of Processed Food Industry in India | publisher=Ane Books India | date=2008 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AWrtAAAAMAAJ | page=12|quote=Rooh Afza is about 50% of the market. To get chunk of this market Dabur launched its Sherbat-i-Azam.}}</ref>

==Ingredients==
Its original formulation included:<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080921183143/http://www.roohafzabd.com/ Rooh Afzalː The unique composition of Rooh Afza]}}{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20200428183053/https://www.roohafzabd.com/ (Archive)]}}</ref>

*Herbs:
** Deepak ("''khurfa'' seeds", ''[[Portulaca oleracea]]'')
** [[Chicory]]
** Wine-grape raisins (''[[Vitis vinifera]]'')
** European white lily (''[[Nymphaea alba]]'')
** Blue star water lily (''[[Nymphaea nouchali]]'')
** Lotus (''[[nelumbo]]'')
** [[Borage]]
** [[coriander]]
** [[Rosemary]]
*Fruits:
** Orange
** Citron
** Pineapple
** Apple
** Berries
** Strawberry
** Raspberry
** [[Loganberry]]
** Blackberry
** Cherry
** [[Concord grape]]s
** [[Blackcurrant]]
** Watermelon
*Vegetables:
** Spinach
** Carrot
** Mint
** Sponge gourd (''[[Luffa aegyptiaca]]'')
*Flowers:
** Rose
** [[Kewra]] (''[[Pandanus fascicularis]]'')
** Lemon
** Orange
*Roots:
** Vetiver (''[[Chrysopogon zizanioides]]'')

==Preparation==
Rooh Afza syrup is generally served mixed with cold milk or water and ice. Rooh Afza is often prepared as part of [[Iftar]] (the evening meal for breaking the fast or ''[[Roza (fasting)|roza]]''), during [[Ramadan]].<ref name=zee>[http://zeenews.india.com/home/roohafza-reigns-supreme-in-pakistan-during-ramzan_400630.html Roohafza reigns supreme in Pakistan during Ramzan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216201138/http://zeenews.india.com/home/roohafza-reigns-supreme-in-pakistan-during-ramzan_400630.html |date=16 December 2017 }} ZEE TV News website, Published 12 October 2007, Retrieved 26 April 2020</ref> The concentrate can also be mixed with water, which is a common preparation in the hot South Asian summers. When mixed with water, the final drink is a type of [[Sharbat (beverage)|sharbat]]. Rooh Afza syrup is often mixed with [[Kulfi]] ice cream and [[vermicelli]] to make a similar version of the popular Iranian dessert [[Faloodeh]].

== Variants ==
Hamdard Laboratories India has launched two ready to drink variants in India namely RoohAfza Fusion and RoohAfza Milkshake.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hamdard Laboratories India launches 'ready to drink' RoohAfza Fusion and RoohAfza Milkshake|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/news/hamdard-laboratories-india-launches-ready-to-drink-roohafza-fusion-and-roohafza-milkshake/articleshow/76400705.cms|access-date=2020-06-17|website=Business Insider|archive-date=17 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617080932/https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/news/hamdard-laboratories-india-launches-ready-to-drink-roohafza-fusion-and-roohafza-milkshake/articleshow/76400705.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=June 17, 2020|title=Hamdard Laboratories India forays into 'ready-to-drink' segment with RoohAfza Fusion and RoohAfza Milkshake|url=https://bestmediainfo.com/2020/06/hamdard-laboratories-india-forays-into-ready-to-drink-segment-with-roohafza-fusion-and-roohafza-milkshake/|access-date=2020-06-17|website=www.bestmediaifo.com|archive-date=17 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617112835/https://bestmediainfo.com/2020/06/hamdard-laboratories-india-forays-into-ready-to-drink-segment-with-roohafza-fusion-and-roohafza-milkshake/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FNB News - Hamdard forays into 'ready to drink' with RoohAfza Fusion and Milkshake {{!}} FNB News|url=http://www.fnbnews.com/Top-News/hamdard-forays-into-ready-to-drink-with-roohafza-fusion-and-milkshake-59166|access-date=2020-06-17|website=www.fnbnews.com|archive-date=17 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617115352/http://www.fnbnews.com/Top-News/hamdard-forays-into-ready-to-drink-with-roohafza-fusion-and-milkshake-59166|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=RoohAfza Fusion: Hamdard Laboratories India enters ready-to-drink segment|url=https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/personal-care-pet-supplies-liquor/roohafza-fusion-hamdard-laboratories-india-enters-ready-to-drink-segment/76403366|access-date=2020-06-17|website=ETRetail.com|language=en|archive-date=18 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618084706/https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/personal-care-pet-supplies-liquor/roohafza-fusion-hamdard-laboratories-india-enters-ready-to-drink-segment/76403366|url-status=live}}</ref>

In Pakistan, one of the ready-to-drink variants, called the Rooh Afza Go,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rooh Afza Go|url=https://pk.hamdardglobal.com/rooh-afza-go-250-ml.html|access-date=7 January 2024|archive-date=7 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107083624/https://pk.hamdardglobal.com/rooh-afza-go-250-ml.html|url-status=live}}</ref> is available in a can form. In addition a drink commonly prepared by parents for kids in Pakistan, is now available as a product from Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Pakistan, called the Doodh (milk) Rooh Afza.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Doodh Rooh Afza|url=https://pk.hamdardglobal.com/doodh-rooh-afza-225-ml.html|access-date=7 January 2024|archive-date=7 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107083625/https://pk.hamdardglobal.com/doodh-rooh-afza-225-ml.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It is essentially Rooh Afza flavored milk, packaged in a 225ml milk carton.

==See also==

*[[List of Indian drinks]]
*[[List of soft drinks by country]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20200428183053/https://www.roohafzabd.com/ Official Website of Hamdard Laboratories (WAQF), Bangladesh (Archive)]}}
* [http://www.hamdard.com/ Official Website of Hamdard Laboratories, India]
* [https://www.hamdard.com.pk/ Official Website of Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Pakistan]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rooh Afza}}
[[Category:Non-alcoholic drinks]]
[[Category:Indian drink brands]]
[[Category:Pakistani drinks]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi drinks]]
[[Category:Pakistani drink brands]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1906]]
[[Category:Iftar foods]]

Rooh Afza - Revision history

Iringlz: made pg!