Type perfumed oil extract Country India | Area Mysore district Registered 2005 | |
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Mysore Sandalwood Oil is a perfume oil extracted from sandalwood (Santalum album), known as a "royal tree", in the Mysore district of Karnataka, India. The tree species grown is stated to be one of the best varieties in the world.
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History
Initially, this oil was extracted in India by crude methods. Before World War I, sandalwood from the Mysore district was distilled in Germany and sold there. However, when World War I broke out in 1914, this route of extraction had to be closed down, resulting in a loss of revenue to the exchequer. In 1916-17, the Sandalwood oil distillery was established in Mysore by the then Mysore government (now the Karnataka government) to distill oil from sandalwood. In 1977, the Mysore district had about 85,000 sandalwood trees, and production reported during 1985-86 was about 20,000 kilograms (44,000 lb) of raw sandalwood. To preserve its importance to the economy, according to the Government Gazetteer, the government introduced special laws and regulations. In the erstwhile princely state of Mysore (now part of Karnataka after independence), sandal was a "royal tree" with the state government controlling it.
This oil has been registered for protection under the geographical indication of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. In 2006, it was listed as "Mysore Sandalwood Oil" under the GI Act 1999 of the Government of India, with registration confirmed by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks.
Uses
The heartwood or the trunk of the sandalwood tree and also its roots are used in the oil extraction process.
The oil is used in the manufacture of soaps, incense, scents, and cosmetics; it also has several uses in religious rites, skin and hair therapeutic treatments, and in pharmaceuticals. There are many varieties of sandalwood oil, but Mysore sandalwood oil is considered one of the best.
The sandalwood oil produced in Mysore accounts for 70% of the world's sandalwood production. It is used as an ideal "blender fixative" and in the blending of many popular perfumes in the world; thus, it is sold at a premium rate. This oil has an assured minimum of 90% santalol, of standard quality, and is comparable to any sandalwood oil produced elsewhere.
According to Swami Vivekananda, Mysore was identified with sandalwood, and was integral to the religious, social and ceremonial life of the east. Vivekananda said "the lingering perfume of this wood may be truly said to have made its conquest of the world". It has been part of folk culture and herbal heritage and its sweet smell has for centuries been a part of Indian religion. The heartwood of the tree, which is not affected by insects, has been used to fashion furniture and temple structures in India. Its oil is enticing and has been considered an aphrodisiac, as its aroma has similarity with androsterone, a male hormone. In Ayurvedic medicine, sandalwood is used to combat urinary tract infections, prostate dysfunction, diarrhea, earache, and lung infections. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine use it to treat cholera, gonorrhea, and abdominal pain.