Trade in sandalwood dates back to the beginning of trading in India. Realizing its value, the Sultan of Mysore declared it a royal tree in 1792. It continues to retain that place today and no individual may own a sandalwood tree.
Sandalwood is a part of Indian culture and heritage. It is the epitome of excellence, imparting fragrance even to the ace that cuts it. Sandalwood is mentioned in one of the oldest pieces of Indian literature, the Ramayana (around 2,000 B.C.) . Sandalwood has nearly fifteen different names in various Indian languages.
In India, sandalwood is primarily distributed on the Deccan Plateau. The total extent of it’s distribution is approximately 9000 km2 of which 8200 km2 is located in the states of Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The heartwood of the fragrant tree is considered sacred and prized. The oil distilled from it, 60kg of oil per ton of heartwood, is used in the formulation of perfumes, lotions, soap, and candles. Mashed into a paste, it is used in folk medicine and spread on the skin to purify the complexion and heal rashes. It is dabbed on the forehead during religious ceremonies and burnt as incense in temples. The sandalwood industry employs thousands of people, especially in Mysore, known as “Sandalwood City? Employees work in incense factories, rolling sandalwood paste on bamboo skewers. Craftsman carve the hard yellow wood into boxes, combs, beads and statues of Hindu gods and elephants.
Description
Named for several fragrant tropical woods, especially for Santalum album, an evergreen partially parasitic tree either native to India or introduced there centuries ago. It is used for joss sticks in Buddhist religious ceremonies and funeral rites and is made into ornamental wares. Oil distilled from the wood is used extensively as a perfume and has a place in medicine. About 19 species of Santalum are distributed over the Hawaiian and other Pacific islands. Red Sandalwood obtained from a leguminous tree, Adenanthera pavonina, also native to India, was probably the almug of the Bible. It is used chiefly as the source of a dye. Sandalwood is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnaliopsida, order Santalales, family Santalac.
Type of Habitat
Sandalwood is an evergreen tree which generally grows in the dry, deciduous forests of the Deccan Plateau. A circle with the city of Bangalore as its center and a radius of 200 km is the main zone of the natural distribution of sandalwood. It can grow to a height of 20 m and obtain a girth of 1.5m. It thrives best under rainfall conditions of 500-2000 mm and at elevations of 650-1200m. It can occur beyond these ranges , but under high rainfall conditions the heartwood formation is negligible. Sandalwood is capable of growing in different kinds of soils like clay, sand, laterite, and loam. Even very poor or rocky soils can support sandalwood. Established plants start fruiting and regenerating naturally.
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