Sandalwood was first used in ancient times, approximately around more than 4,000 years ago. In India, it’s been valued for at least 2,000 years as one of the most sacred trees–an important part of devotional rituals. Sandalwood was an important medicinal herb in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicines.
In China, sandalwood joss sticks are very popular as incense By 700 B.C., it was found to be an important trade item. The Sandalwood tree is highly aromatic wood. The wood is very expensive and is found around the Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean regions where it grows and is traded. There are 16 species of sandalwood that grow naturally throughout these regions. It is an evergreen tree ranging from tall shrubs to large trees and is a parasitic plant, which has special structures on its roots that penetrate the roots of other plants around to obtain nutrients.
Following tradition, the wood of the sandalwood tree is still used to make sacred objects, carvings, and various handcrafted ornaments. In the past, it was often used for temple doors, and it is still valued for intricately carved furniture–although with today’s high prices, it is used for this purpose less than in the past. Chips of wood are burned as an incense or ground to make incense sticks.
Out of these well known and economically important species is the Indian Sandalwood which has a highest oil content ( 6-7%) and a most sought after aroma profile.These species is mostly used to produce essential oil.Many of the other species are used for, furniture, ornaments, sacred objects, carvings and joss sticks (incense). The trees which are used for oil are selected by age and size because of the higher proportion of heartwood in larger trees which has the maximum content of oil. This oil is multi-purpose, which is used in many productive ways.
Dead-standing or fallen trees are also harvested because the wood holds onto the essential oil for many years. The lower grades of sandalwood, such as the sapwood, are used for incense and for chips and powder, while the better logs are used in carving (from small objects to furniture). Sandalwood paste is also made from it, which is widely used in India for marking the skin. Because of its resistance to white ants, the wood was also used in early buildings. It also has been a key ingredient in perfumes and incense, lotions and body oils.
Author:Aashish Washikar
For more of such sculptures and artifacts, please visit http://www.chitrahandicrafts.com
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