Sacred Sandalwood

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Sacred Sandalwood-The Divine Treeby Christopher McMahonHow many are the trees on earth that bearthe scented flower and juicy fruits!Yet, O' Sandal you are unique in possessingUnparalled fragrance of wood.Sanskrit shlokaA Passion for SandalwoodThe word, "sandalwood" in English, or "chandan" in Hindi, evokes aworld of ancient mystery, sanctity, and devotion. Ever since going tolive in India in 1971, this precious wood and its oil have been ofgreat interest to me. The quest to understand this wonderful gift ofnature on every level has taken many interesting twists and turns. Myfirst encounter with the tree came on the small farm where I wasliving in Karnatika State. A local person one day pointed out thesaplings growing in a forest area. It was hard to conceive of thisplain looking tree being the source of a fragrant wood that has beentreasured for thousands of years. In the nearby city of Bangalore,one could purchase the pure oil distilled in the Mysore GovernmentSandalwood factories, and I use to bring bottles of this exquisitescent home for my mother and friends. The first whiff of sandalwoodoil is enough to produce a life long affection for the scent. Ittruly conjures up deep, wonderful, unexplainable feelings about Indiaand her sacred heritage. Curiosity about the world surrounding thisdivine scent led to the exploration of sandalwood groves deep in theheart of Kerala State, intimate contact with traditional perfumemakers in Uttar Pradesh using sandalwood as a base in their attars,and finally a visit to an incredible sandalwood oil distillery inTamil Nadu. As many people have asked for information about this oil,an attempt is made here to share what little I know.Visit to a Sandalwood GroveSandalwood is a small evergreen tree attaining a height of 40-50 feetand a girth of 3-8 feet. Mature specimens are covered with a darkbrown to reddish bark. The smooth trunk of young trees turns roughwith age and exhibits deep vertical cracks. The leathery leaves aredisplay a range of greenish colors. The purplish brown flowers aresmall and unscented. There is little externally that calls one tonotice the sandalwood tree as a specimen containing the prizedaromatic heartwood whose virtues have been sung for several thousandyears. The tree can grow under a variety of environmental conditionsbut produces the finest heartwood amidst the try rocky/hilly terrainof Tamil Nadu, Karnatika States, and Kerala States where thefamed "sandalwood belt" is located. It is in this region that most ofthe remaining natural stands of sandalwood are to be found.In November, 1995 I made a memorable journey to a remote area ofKerala State where sandalwood groves were being maintained undergovernment protection. In the company of my kind hosts, SynthiteIndustrial Chemicals Ltd, one of the premier spice oil distillers inIndia, we traveled from Cochin in the hot, humid coastal zone, upinto the cool mountainous regions where the great tea plantationswere to be found and then down again to a dry valley where we wereable to locate the sandalwood groves. The local people showed us manytrees of various ages that were growing in a mixed forest providingthe unique environment required for the trees natural regeneration. Iwas able to hold in my hands the tiny delicate unscented purplishflowers of the trees as well as observe the small fruits containing asingle seed. As is well known the sandalwood is a root parasite andextracts nutrients from the host plant by means of special formationscalled haustoria. It is not a single species of trees that nourishesthe sandalwood but several and it is not yet fully understood whatthe exact conditions are that create that allow the tree to thrive.In the grove where we were wandered we were able to observe specialcages surrounding root suckers protruding above the ground. The cagesprotected the suckers from grazing cattle. The well rooted suckerswere found to be one of the best means of propagating the trees.Seeds that had passed through the digestive system of birds who hadeaten the trees small fruits were also found to provide seedlingsthat seemed to thrive in the groves providing they were protectedfrom natural foraging. Many other means of artifical propogation havebeen tried but the success rate has been minimal. A recent interviewwith a District Forest Officer, Mr. Sankara of Tamil Nadu Stateconfirmed that even after planting hundreds of thousands ofsandalwood saplings produced by tissue culture, seed, etc. verylittle success had been obtained. Many concerted efforts have beenmade to understand the exact enviromental componets required to growthe tree but so far man has not been able to unravel nature's mystery.After visiting the grove, we were taken to the depot where all theharvested sandalwood was kept for sale at two yearly auctions.Several large open air buildings covered with thatched roofscontained tons of sandalwood roots, trunks and branches and chips. Itwas very hot in the sun, but in the shaded confines of the buildingsa noticeable coolness permeated the air surrounding the heartwood.Every small chip and scap was accounted for and carefully stored intheir respective areas. It was a remarkable scene. The officers incharge showed us another area where vehicles were stored that hadbeen confiscated when found containing smuggled sandalwood. One largegasoline tanker had been stopped and when it was examined was foundto have sandalwood stashed inside. It was standing in the sun waitingfor some unknown fate. The officers informed us that at the auctionperfumers, craftsman, and incense makers would assemble fromthroughout India to bid on the wood. Several other depots, located inKarnatika and Tamil Nadu also held similar auctions where the woodcould be legally procured. Because of the government ban onexportation of the wood and oil no foreign parties were allowed tobid on the wood. This visit to the grove and depot provided me withmy first behind the scenes view of this interesting world. I feltextremely grateful that my kind hosts had gone out of their way totake me deep into the heart of Kerala State where I could see thetrees for myself and feel their spirit. It also helped me understandthe practical dimensions of the woods harvest and preparation for usein making oil, carved handicrafts, and incense.Sandalwood-It's Precious HeartwoodThe most valuable part of the sandalwood tree is the scentedheartwood. If the tree establishes itself in a favorable location itwill begin forming the heartwood after 10 years of growth. At thatpoint the girth of the tree will be about 9 inches and its height 10feet. After 20 years the heartwood begins to form rapidly and reachesits prime in the 50-60 year range at which point the tree will beabout 2-3 feet in girth, and upto 60 feet high. The trees havingreached this stage and considered ripe for harvest are uprooted notcut, as the roots are highest in oil content. The appropriate timefor doing this is just after the rainy season so as to reduce labor.After the tree is uprooted it is reassembled on the ground to imitatethe original structure of the tree. The branches not containingheartwood are lopped off on site while the branches containingheartwood are sawn as close to the trunk of the tree as possible.Numbers are assigned to each and every useable part so that a carefulrecord can be kept of this valuable commodity. The wood is strippedof all the unscented white sapwood save for 3/4" which covers theheartwood. Final separation of sapwood from heartwood takes place ata centrally located storage depots. Thicker and heavier portions oftree are cut into billets 3'6" in length and even the sawdustgenerated from this process is saved. Much attention is given to thecutting of the billets as knot and dent free wood fetches a higherprice. The billets, sawdust, and root system wood are all carefullyweighed before transport to the depot. This also helps prevent theloss of wood from theft.In the sandalwood depot the remaining sapwood is carefully removed bypeople skilled in this type of work. Extreme care must be taken sothat all the precious heartwood remains intact. After all theprocesses are completed the wood is separated into heartwood,branchwood, chips, and powder for auction. Even the sapwoodcontaining a tiny bit of fragrance due to its proximity to theheartwood will be auctioned off. The wood is auctioned off from thesesites twice yearly.Due to its high value sandalwood is exploited by thieves andsmugglers. They have developed many ingenious means for transportingthe wood to people willing to illegally traffic in this commodity.Penalties for detection of illicit trading in it are severe and thegovernment is making restrictions on the purchasing of sandalwoodever more stringent. Once a company has purchased it through legalchannels, careful records must be kept as to how it is being used sothat when officials check the records, the amount purchased and theamount sold match.Distillation of Sandalwood/Ancient and ModernIn February 1996, the next stage of my initiation into the world ofsandalwood presented itself. In the company of my fragrance mentor,Mr. Ramakant Harlalk of Nishant Aromas in Bombay, I traveled to theancient perfume center of Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh to study howattars were made. Attars are perfumes which are created by hydro-distilling various flowers, roots, herb and spices into puresandalwood oil. Since sandalwood is central to this type of uniqueperfume, several distilleries are located in Kannauj that specializein sandalwood production. The information presented here is based onthe visits to these factories.Once sandalwood is purchased by a perfume house it must be furtherprepared for distillation. The billets of branch and root are firstcoarsely chipped and then ground to a fine powder. Before the adventof steam distillation this 40-60 lbs of the powder was placed in thetraditional copper still and allowed to soak for 48 hours. It wasthen distilled over an open fire with the vapors condensing in thecopper receiving vessel resting in a water bath after passing througha copper or bamboo tube. The floating oil was then mechanicallyladled off and refined further by filtration and other locallydeveloped techniques. The odor of this hydro-distilled oil wasthought to be superior to that obtained by steam distillation and itis said that some perfume houses still use this technique. A 4-5%yield of oil could be obtained if due care was observed in processing.For steam distillation a fine powder is also used but care must betaken that it is not so fine that it turns into a creamy paste in thestill. It must instead be of light porous consistency so the steamcan pass through it without forming knots or channels. The copper orstainless steel stills used in for this are generally much largerthan traditional ones and can hold from 1000-2000 lbs of powder. Thebasic rule for their design is that their height should be 25% morethan the width. The false bottom is perforated allowing for passageof steam from below. In Kannauj at several places I visited, thesteam was being generated by huge boilers that were previously usedon coal burning railroad engines. The heat of the pressurized steamforces the wood to release its essential oil from tiny intercellularpockets. The droplets of essential oil evaporate and co-mingle withthe steam which rises to the top of the still. The fragrance chargedsteam rises out from the still from a goose-neck shaped funnel andenters the condensation chamber. A cooled water jacket surrounds thecoiled tube into which this vapor passes causing it to condense intoliquid form once again. Upon entering the receiver the lighteressential oil rises to the surface and the water sinks to the bottommaking it easy to separate the two. The quality of the oil isdetermined by the pressure at which it is distilled. High pressurewill give a higher yield in less time but the odor quality will beunfavorably altered. Low pressure distillation is prefered by thosecompanies who cater to the refined perfume and aromatherapy market.The crude sandalwood oil floating on the distillate surface isskimmed off, separated from the remaining liquid and scum impurities,and then filtered. This oil as such is often used by the attarmanufacturers. Further refinement is carried out for oils being sentto the international market. It will be distilled again with asuperheated steam then further refined in a steam jacketed vacuum toremove the last traces of water. Each additional step in refinementmay involve the removal of some of the oils medicinal virtues.Yield of oil from the steam distillation process ranges from 4.50 to6.25%. It is an oil produced from roots, trunk/branch billets, andchips.The yield from the roots alone can exceed 10% with the otherparts of the tree yielding considerably less. This in brief describesthe two different processes used for distilling sandalwood."Ethically Harvested and Distilled SandalwoodIn March 1999, I had the opportunity to visit with the person incharge of the only factory in India that has permission to exportsandalwood overseas. This visit provided me with a most importantpart of the sandalwood story which I feel will be of greatestinterest to the aromatherapy community. Since I began my explorationsof India's aromatic traditions ancient and modern in 1995, manypeople have asked me if I could source sandalwood for them. I haddiscussed this issue with Ramakant on a number of occasions and hehad very patiently told me that until we found the legal means ofexporting the oil we should not even think about offering it in theWestern world. There is part of the sandalwood story which is verysad and tragic. The illegal cutting, distilling and smuggling of theoil out of the country is well known. Most of the oils reachingoverseas distributors is coming through such sources. Many times thetrees have been cut way before they have come into maturity. Thistype of illicit trade and sandalwood continues to this day. He saidthat if we also supported this type of illegal trade it would be ablight on our name and we would only be doing what so many othershave done. He insisted that we wait until we would discover thatperson and place where we could procure the oil in an ethical mannerfrom sanctioned sources.At the time when we first began discussing this issue, no such sourcewas known to us. Sandalwood could be legally purchased in India formaking attars and attars could in turn be legally exported, but therewas at that time, a government ban on all export of the pure oil.Ramakant had an independent third party facility for doing analysisof essential oils for purity and quality Many of the largest users ofsandalwood oil sent their oils to him to ascertain if their productwas genuine. In this way he acquired a very good knowledge of thegrades of the oil, what types of adulteration were going on(which isvery very extensive) etc. This database gave him an insight into whata truly remarkable sandalwood oil would look like. Less than 10% ofall oils analyzed fit into the category of the extraordinary. Duringthis time he continued to enquire if there was any source throughwhich we could legally procure oil and export it. Such information isnot as easy to come by as one might think.Finally in the latter part of 1998 he was given the name of theDistrict Forest Officer in charge of sandalwood oil production inTamil Nadu. Many phone calls and correspondences followed as Ramakantexplained to Mr. Sankara what our hopes and wishes were for providingthe aromatherapy community with an oil that was produced fromethically harvested trees. An invitation was extended by him to visitthe facility in Tamil Nadu so we could see for ourselves what type ofwork he was engaged in and if we liked what we saw we could procurethe oil from him and legally export it to the Western world.Traveling from Madras into the interior of Tamil Nadu, I wonderedwhat it was that we were going to see. I did not want to get my hopesup but Ramakant had given me a very encouraging report on hisinteractions with Mr. Sankara. Also he had procured a modest quanitiyfrom the distillery and had thoroughly analyzed the oil and reportedthat it was of that unique 10% quality that he so rarely saw. In factall his family members who are equally involved in the familybusiness had said it was the finest oil that they had ever seen.Arriving at the factory in a remote rural location in the earlyafternoon, we were immediately taken to meet Mr. Sanakara. What afine meeting it was. Before us sat a man whose eyes were clear,simple and pure. He has spent his life in the forest service and hada true love of nature, the trees of the forest, and the environmentin general. He had worked in various dimensions of the forestdepartment and had in 1997 been given the responsibility of makingthe sandalwood distillery functional which had been sitting idlesince 1991. With great zeal and detemination he went about restoringthe equipment, figuring out how to do the distillation properly andgenerally determining how he could market the finished product in apractical honorable way. Since all the wood used would be procuredfrom government controlled land, all issues regarding illegallyharvested would be put to rest and people wishing to use oil fromtrees which had either died naturally or when in their mortalityspiral could be assured. As he shared with us his straightforwardassessment of the situation my heart sang with joy.At the same time he soberly told us that with all their best effortsit was impossible to stop the smuggling. The forest officers weredoing there best but as the wood was so precious smugglers employedpeople to walk deep into the forest to illegally cut the wood andhaul it out by foot. He said that many many experiments had been madeto regenerate the trees but that, for the most part they had failed.Whereas they could assure their clients that they would get oilharvested at the proper time in the trees life, they could be nomeans assure that their would be supplies in the years to come. Byhis estimation the current supply of ethically harvested wood couldonly last 20 more years. So it was bit of a bitter sweet conversation,After a enlightening discussion about the wood and its future, hetook us into the distillery proper. The entire vicinity was permeatedby this exquisite smell. It was truly wonderful and intoxicating. Heshowed us the rooms were the graded wood was kept. Sixteen gradeswere carefully adhered too so that when the distillation process tookplace they could determine proportions of root, trunk, and branchwood to be used. He even told us that if a customer required oilprocured from a specific part of the tree it could be done if theywere willing to purchase 100 kilos of it at a time. He then took usinto the large room holding 6 enormous distilling units. Each stillwas charged with 1 ton of heartwood. The distillation process onceinitiated was continued for 13-15 days twice the length of thedistilleries I had visited in North India. It was also a low pressuredistillation allowing for the gradual extraction of all the rare andprecious constitutents major and minor contained in the oil. While wewere examining his facility, he said we should dip our hands in thehydrosol. It was the most lovely, soft and smooth aromatic water andwhen applied to the skin had a soothing, cool effect. He told us thatif there was an interest the hydrosol it could also be exported intothe West. I felt that this aromatic water was a precious essence initself and that it could fine use in skin care products. It had afine subtle sandalwood essence.Mr. Sankara very frankly told us that his only concern was to producethe best oil that he could. He did not worry if the oil had a highsantalol content, one of the key markers of sandalwood oil, or not.Generally a superior quality sandalwood oil has a santalol content ofover 90% and he told us that some of the oil produced in the factoryhad been tested with 94%. Still he never put the emphasis on suchthings. He only paid attention to having the oil distilled accordingto very exacting standards and that those who wanted the oil werefree to purchase it or not according to their own desire. His verysimple straightforward approach appealed to my heart very much. It israre to meet people with such a direct, candid manner based upon anhonest perception of their own life and work. The effect of hispersonality was also clearly observable in the quiet and efficientmanner the few people working there went about their duties. It was apeaceful organized operation that conveyed a respect for each otherand the work they were involved in.There was another equally important dimension of this experiencewhich should be mentioned. I realize that this part of it may notmean much to others but I will mention it just the same. The plantshave a type of consciousness which responds to the people aroundthem. They are benign beings who wish that they should be used forsome noble purpose. Even if they are not appreciated and cared for ina conscious way they still give some of their beauty to the world,but if they are treated with honor and respect, they yield more oftheir mysterious qualities. Aromatic plants possess great healingvirtues but often because they are treated as mere commercialcommodities. The full benefit of their qualities cannot be properlyrealized. The rishis and sages of old always loved and appreciatedthe world in which they lived and they always taught the people tolove and appreciate all the things around them. They found in thearomatic plants an incredible source of healing power. They alwaysthanked the plants for making the sacrafice of their essence to theproducts they made. I felt some of this energy in the distillery. Itseemed to me that the sandalwood oil made in this area had someunique power about it which I had never sensed in any sandalwood oilbefore. Perhaps one could attribute this to the fact that nothingillegal was happening here. It was being done in the best possibleway. It was at this time also I began to fully appreciate Ramakant'sunswerving determination not to be involved with any illegal sale ofsandalwood to the aromatherapy community. It is a true contradictionto offer a healing product if that product has been procured by someillicit means. It is something one has to be very clear about intheir own mind. In short, I felt greatly honored to be in the companyof two such men whose lives were a reflection of their beliefs. Ithink the sandalwood trees too, were grateful for their good attitude.Sandalwood in Sacred TraditionThe olfactory characteristics of sandalwood are legendary. The warm,sweet, slightly spicy precious wood notes present a mellodic blendwhich is at once distinct yet not over powering. The non-dominatingfixative characteristics of the oil make it the ideal choice forcreating attars and a wide range of other perfumes. It has thecapacity to absorb the most ethereal notes of other plant materials,enrich and enliven them and give them back in a yet more beautifulform. Many substitutes have been tried for sandalwood but in the endone can only say that "sandalwood is sandalwood" and there is no realsubstitute for it.In India the heartwood of sandalwood has divine status. One species,Hari-chandan was said to grow only in the heaven worlds filling thecelestial empire with its divine fragrance. The terrestial sandalwoodis said to be its representative on earth. It is regularly used inthe anointing of sacred idols. The fragrance of the sandalwood issaid to be one of the most pleasing to the gods, hence its use use inunguents, incense and fragrant oils. A paste is made from the woodfor applying to the forehead in a variety of symbolic markingsindicating to which religious sect a person belongs. Its cooling andsoothing properties when applied in this manner are said to direct apersons attention towards contemplation of the mystery of life. Inthe last rites of devote hindus, the wood is considered a mostimportant ingredient of the funeral pyre. It is thought that the soulis carried back to its eternal abode with the scent of sandalwood.The fragrance of sandalwood and the religious life of India's people,can hardly be separated. References to it appear in countlessreligious scriptures."When smelted again and again gold acquires purer hue, when cut intopieces repeatedly the sugarcane continues to be sweeter, when rubbedrepeatedly sandal continues to diffuse its fragrance. The virtousones acquire no imperfection in their nature even in the face ofadversities."-Sanskrit shlokaThe connection between fragrant plants and spirituality as practicedin India is profound. Sandalwood holds the pre-emient place amongstthem. It was the material of transformation and elevation. Thealchemical property of the oil was to capture the pure essence of theflower, allowing its ethereal essence to spread in the environment inwhich is was kept for many hours. It is no mistake that it is theheart and soul of all attars. Perfumery was once practiced as adivine art and craft and each and every material used had somespecial meaning and significance connected with the spiritual livesof the people. Unfortunately, with the passage of time this subtlelanguage has been forgotten and only the commercial aspect of perfumeproduction remains. Still, it is possible, with patient effort tolearn to decipher this language once again. If the inner meaning ofthe old arts and crafts can be revived it will not only enrich thelives of the people engaged in them, but will also benefit the peopleusing the creations produced with this heightened awareness.In the ancient way, all parts of life were interconnected. Thephysical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of a personsbeing were viewed as one complete unit. People possessing innerknowledge of the perfume sciences used attars to treat dis-ease intheir patients according to the level it was manifesting on. Thephysical application of the oil could initiate a process ofrebalancing that would postively affect the more subtle dimensions ofa persons life. It could, in essence, work from the outer to theinner. Similarly the fragrance itself could stimulate beneficialchanges in the mind so that the process of inner healing would bestimulated simultaneously. In this case the process of transformationwould originate from within and move towards the physical existenceof the person. Attars were highly esteemed because they were one ofthe only therapeutic agents which could act simultaneously on everylevel of a persons existence. The exact virtues contained within eachoil will carefully studied and a wide range of dis-eases could betreated. Unfortunately the practice of this profound form of healinghas been almost entirely lost. It is possible that it formed animportant part of ayurveda and other indigenous systems of medicine.Hopefully the key to its practice can once more be recovered. Beforethat can happen though, we need to learn to look once again on theworld of plants with eyes of respect and reverence, inwardly thankingthe denizens of that kingdom for the sacrafice they are making inimproving our lives.Therapeutic Applications of SandalwoodTraditionally sandalwood has been used for treating digestivecomplicatons arising from diarrohoea, nausea, colic and gastritis. Itis listed as a carminative and digestive muscle relaxant. Itsantiseptic properties have been successfully employed for treatinggonnorrhea and leucorrhea. It has long been valued for treating thesetypes of genito-urinary infections. Indigenous physicians observedthat the oil and heartwood possessed antispasmodic properties and soutilized it for treating bronchitis, cattarh, coughs, sore throat andrelated diseases. Its use in treatment of skin problems is legendary.It is an excellent mosturizer and nourishes all skin types. Itsastringent, anti-flammatory, antiseptic, and pain relievingproperties have been put to good used in healing wounds, scars, andacne. Applied to the forehead in the form of a paste it has a coolingeffect and is used to bring down fevers. In cosmetic preparations itis excellent for reducing wrinkles. In the realm of mental andemotional therapeutics sandalwood is used for treating stress,depression, stress anxiety and nervous tension as it is both asedative and tonic. It is thought to naturally control anger andagression and to act upon subtle emotional centers to promotecompassion and openess.The fragrance of the oil and heartwood are considered invaluable inmeditation practice.The Sandal Tree as if to prove,How sweet to conquer Hate, love,Perfumes the axe that lays it low.-Rabindranath Tagore