Sandalwood Incense: Why Dhuni will ever use endangered sandalwood...

Aug. 19, 2010 - PRLog -- This article comes from: http://www.dhuni.co.uk/why-we-dont-make-sandalwood-incense/
For over 4,000 millennia, the Sandalwood fragrance has been held sacred for spiritual purposes as well as prized for its healing properties. Sandalwood is mentioned in the oldest Sanskrit texts as being useful to placate the Gods, and entire temples were hewn from the fragrant tree.

The Sandalwood trade can be found at the very beginning of commerce in India. The Sultan of Mysore declared it a “royal tree” as early as 1792, and it remains so today. In fact, Sandalwood trees are considered the property of the Government to this day in India, and no individual may ‘own’ a Sandalwood. If a Sandalwood tree is growing on private land, it is still officially owned by the Government, even though the individual may receive some financial compensation for its propogation.

Everyone loves sandalwood incense. So do we, but we don’t sell it. Why? It’s highly endangered. To quote directly from Plant Culture:

The conservation status of sandalwood in India is not good. Overharvesting and deforestation have led to a serious decline in wild populations. The plants are in danger of extinction and there still seems to be little control over illegal logging and the government is not providing enough support for the establishment of plantations.

It’s for this reason that, until we find a truly sustainable source of sandalwood, we don’t use it in any of our incenses. Neither do we recommend you buy: sandalwood essential oil, sandalwood soap, sandalwood perfume, or sandalwood lotion.

Here at Dhuni, it’s our aim to support a healthy planet. We would no more use sandalwood than we would eat tiger. One particular sandalwood species was favoured for making furniture, essential oil, and tools during the 19thc. Unfortunately, it was picked to extinction by 1916. Today, five other species of Sandalwood are endangered or threatened. Few governments are taking the proper steps to protect their remaining trees and, in India, the black market trade in sandalwood is huge. It involves smuggling, stealing, murder and theft and, no matter how intoxicating sandalwood fragrance may be, it’s not worth it.

The good news is that, here at dhuni natural incense, we've discovered the art of rolling a truly special incense that doesn't require sandalwood to make it smell amazing. Our range has been called 'exceptional', 'by far the best I've ever smelt' and 'the most beautiful incense in the world' by happy customers. You can buy it at: http://www.dhuni.co.uk/buy-our-incense-here/