IMPERIAL SANDALWOOD

Fire has been a sacred symbol in the Zoroastrian Religion (زرادشتية, Zoroastrianism) since ancient times and it is considered very important to keep the fires in the temples constantly burning.
Also, the Sandalwood (خشب الصندل / चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album) has been accepted by the Yasna (ياسنا) and Yashts (ياشتس), the Zoroastrianism's (زرادشتية) principal acts of worship, as an appropriate fuel for the fire.
The Sandalwood (خشب الصندل / चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album) is offered to all of
the Three Grades of Fire (أتاش دادغاه, Atash
Dadgah / أتاش أداران, Atash Adaran / أتاش بهرام, Atash Behram) in
the Fire Temple (أجياري, Agiyari / دار ه المزيد, Dar-e Mehr).
Thus, it is one of the most used holy elements in Hindu (हिंदू) and Vedic (वैदिक) societies.
The
Sandalwood (चंदन,
Chandan / Santalum Album) is used for worshipping the God Shiva (शिव).
It
is believed that Goddess Lakshmi (लक्ष्मी) lives in the Sandalwood tree (चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album).
It is also distributed to devotees, who apply it to their foreheads or necks and chests.
Preparation of the paste is a duty fit only for the pure, so is entrusted only
to priests when used in temples and during ceremonies.
The
paste is prepared by grinding wood by hand with granite slabs shaped for this
purpose.
With the gradual addition of water, a thick paste forms (called കളഭം, kalabham in Malayalam language and ಗಂಧ, gandha in Kannada) and is mixed with saffron (भगवा, bhagava) or
other such pigments to make chandanam
(चन्दनम).
Chandanam (चन्दनम), further mixed with herbs, perfumes, pigments,
and some other compounds, results in javadhu
(जावाधू).
Kalabham (കളഭം), chandanam (चन्दनम), and javadhu
(जावाधू) are
dried and used as kalabham
powder (कालाभम पाउडर), chandanam powder (चन्दनम पाउडर),
and javadhu powder (जावाधू पाउडर),
respectively.
Chandanam powder (चन्दनम पाउडर) is
very popular in India and is also used in Nepal.
In
Tirupati after religious tonsure, Sandalwood paste (चंदन चिपकाएँ) is applied to protect the skin.
Sandalwood
(चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album) use is integral part
of daily practices of Jainism (जैन धर्म / a Transtheism Religion in
India).
- The
term "Transtheism" refers to a system
of religious philosophy which is neither Theistic nor Atheistic, but is beyond them.
Sandalwood
paste (चंदन चिपकाएँ) mixed with saffron (भगवा, bhagava) is used to worship Tirthankar (तीर्थंकर / a Saviour and Spiritual Teacher of the Dharma) Jain Deities.
Sandalwood powder (चंदन पाउडर) is
showered as blessings by Jain monks and nuns (Sadhusand / साधुनन्द, Sadhvis / साध्वी) to their disciples and followers.
Sandalwood garlands (चंदन माला) are used to dress the body during Jain
cremation ceremonies.
During
the festival of Mahamastakabhisheka (महामस्तकाभिषेकः) that is held once in every 12 years, the statue
of Gommateshwara (गोमटेश्वरा / ಗೊಮ್ಮಟೇಶ್ವರ) is then bathed and anointed with libations
such as milk (दूध),
sugarcane juice (गन्ना रस), and saffron paste (भगवा चिपकाएँ), and sprinkled with powders of Sandalwood (चंदन पाउडर), Turmeric
(हल्दी, Haldi / Curcuma
longa), and Vermilion (वर्मिलियन / a scarlet pigment).
In
Buddhism (बौद्ध धर्म), Sandalwood (चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album) is mentioned in
various Suttas (sacred texts / सूत्र पिटक) of the Pāli Canon (a collection of scriptures
in the Theravada Buddhist Tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language).
In
some Buddhist Traditions, Sandalwood (चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album) is considered to be
of the Padma (पद्म / Lotus) group and attributed to Amitabha Buddha
(अमिताभ बुद्ध).
Sandalwood
scent (चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album) is believed by some
to transform one`s desires and maintain a person`s alertness while in meditation.
It is also one of the most popular scents used when offering incense (धूप) to Buddha (बुद्ध) and the Gurus (गुरु).
In
Sufism (الْتَّصَوُّف),
Sandalwood paste (चंदन चिपकाएँ) is applied on the Sufi's (صُوفِيّ) grave by the disciples as a mark of
devotion.
It is practiced particularly among the Indian Subcontinent disciples.
- Sufism (الْتَّصَوُّف / Taṣawwuf),
is Mysticism in Islam, which began very early in Islamic History.
It represents the main manifestation of the Mystical Practice in Islam.
Practitioners of Sufism have been referred to as "Sufis" (صُوفِيّ).
In
the Tamil (तमिल / தமிழ்) culture irrespective of religious identity,
Sandalwood paste (चंदन चिपकाएँ) or powder (चंदन पाउडर) is
applied to the graves of Sufis (صُوفِيّ) as
a mark of devotion and respect.
However, some sects of Taoists (道家), following the Ming Dynasty Taoist Manual, do not use Sandalwood incense (檀香 / चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album), as well as Frankincense (乳香) of Benzoin resin (苯甲酸樹脂 / a balsamic resin obtained from the bark of several species of trees in the genus Styrax), foreign produced.
Instead either they use Agarwood
(阿加伍德 / आगरवुड / 阿萊斯伍德, Aloeswood / 加魯伍德,
Gharuwood), or
better still Acronychia pedunculata (阿克羅尼基亞·佩蒙庫拉塔 / a large shrub or small tree of the lower hill
forests of tropical Asia), in
worship.
In
Korean Shamanism (무속), Sandalwood (샌들 우드 / चंदन, Chandan / Santalum Album) is considered the Tree of Life (생명의 나무).
