The oil of the sandalwood tree is the unique as it is the only essential oil which is a conduit for opening all of the chakras (Spiritual centres) and works on opening every spiritual channel within both the physical and etheric body.
Sandalwood that is grown within its natural habitat, contains the highest concentration and potency for the production and manufacture of goods made from Sandalwood plant.
One of the places in which sandalwood occurs in its natural habitat is Mysore. Mysore is historically famed for its manufacture of sandalwood handicrafts, various sandalwood carvings, sandalwood soap and of course incense and essential oil.
Mysore’s unique biosphere has created the perfect weather and soil conditions for this tree, however over the years, the constantly changing governmental policies, coupled with endemic poaching and corruption, have made the sandalwood trees in India an endangered species, particularly the sandalwood trees of Karnataka.
However, acknowledging this situation, the outdated and truly draconian policies have been recently relaxed as of late, and the cultivation and propagation of new plantings and seedlings have begun across the state. Which, hopefully over the next thirty years will enable us to remove it from the list of currently endangered species.
Despite previous regulations, the Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre has made bold leaps to ensure the preservation of the sandalwood species. As Sandalwood grows abundantly and naturally in the Indus valley without any special encouragement or needs to maintain it, this semiparasitic tree enjoys the company of other trees being nearby.
Propagated by bird droppings, or guana, the native birds of the area take delight in the scrumptious sandalwood fruit and berries. The Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre has cultivated and preserved thousands of trees of this unique and precious plant.
Our visitors and guests are generally in awe to see such an abundance of sandalwood trees growing in the Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre property.
Generally, it takes between twenty-five to forty years for a single Sandalwood tree to mature. It is a proven fact that even the soil surrounding the Sandalwood tree’s is known to contain the essential oil. In accordance with the Vaastu Shastra, the land where this tree grows naturally and abundantly is highly auspicious for any types of spiritual practice.
Within all of the Vedic rituals, sandalwood paste is an essential component. The wood can be used for carvings and for the extraction of the essential oil.
Many Ayurvedic cosmetics and decoctions make use of powdered sandalwood in their preparations. When mixed with yoghurt the young leaves are used in a refreshing recipe called Tambuli in the local language
The perfume industry makes abundant use of the oil, although in its pure form it is highly expensive.
