Product Description
Resin & Wood Incense – Sandalwood Powder (25g)
About Sandalwood Chips – scent is believed to transform one’s desires and maintain a person’s alertness while in meditation and to bring one closer with the Divine and has antiseptic properties.
Sandalwood is a fragrant wood from the genus Santalum found in Nepal, Southern India, Sri Lanka, Hawaii, South Pacific islands and Australia.
Sandalwood perfumes have a striking wood base note. Sandalwood smells are not unlike other wood scents with the exception that it has a bright and fresh edge with few natural analogues.
Nepalese sandalwood is endangered and consequently very expensive. All sandalwood trees in Nepal are government-owned and harvesting is strictly controlled but many trees are illegally cut down and smuggled out of the country. Sandalwood essential oil prices have risen to $1000-1500/ kg in the last 5 years. Some countries regard the sandal oil trade as ecologically harmful because it encourages the over harvesting of sandalwood trees.
Unlike most trees, sandalwood is harvested by toppling the entire santalum tree so that the stump and root can also be used. To produce commercially valuable sandalwood with high levels of fragrance the trees should be 40 years old (80 or above is preferred).
In Hinduism, Sandalwood is often used for rituals or ceremonies and was used as a embalming paste in Lord Shiva’s temples on Shivlings. A vast majority of Hindus wear a small mark of this paste on their forehead right above the middle of the eyes supposed to keep the ‘third eye’ (pituitary gland) cool.
In Buddhism, sandalwood is considered to be of the Padma (lotus) group and attributed to the Bodhisattva Amitabha. Sandalwood scent is believed to transform one’s desires and maintain a person’s alertness while in meditation. Sandalwood is one of the more popular scents used when offering incense to Buddha.
In India some temples have been built with sandalwood and they retain their aroma for centuries. Jewelry boxes, fans and ornate carvings continue to be made in many parts of Asia using sandalwood.
