• Product: Trademarked sandalwood perfume oil from Santalum album (sandalwood).
• Origin: Mysore district, Karnataka.
• Sandalwood was historically known as the “Royal Tree” in the erstwhile Mysore State.

History

• Before World War I, Mysore sandalwood was distilled in Germany and sold there.
• The outbreak of World War I (1914) stopped this route, causing revenue loss.
• Maharajah of Mysore appointed Alfred Chatterton, Director of Industries, to develop local oil distillation.
• J. J. Sudborough and H. E. Watson helped extract the first sample of sandalwood oil in India at the Indian Institute of Science.
• 1916–17: Sandalwood oil distillery established at Mysore by the Mysore Government.
• In the former Mysore princely state, sandalwood was a “royal tree” and was controlled by the state government.
• 1977: About 85,000 sandalwood trees were recorded in Mysore district.
• 1985–86: Raw sandalwood production reported at about 20,000 kg.
• Special laws and regulations were introduced for sandalwood conservation and economic importance.

GI Tag

• GI Name: Mysore Sandalwood Oil
• GI Act: 1999
• GI Registration: 2006
• Protected under the Geographical Indication framework associated with TRIPS.
• Registration confirmed by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks.

Raw Material & Extraction

• Heartwood/trunk of sandalwood is used for oil extraction.
• Roots are also used.
• Scientific name: Santalum album.

Uses

• Manufacturing of:
  • Soaps
  • Incense
  • Perfumes/scents
  • Cosmetics
• Used in:
  • Religious rites
  • Skin and hair treatments
  • Pharmaceutical preparations
• Used as a blender fixative in perfumes.
• Mysore sandalwood oil was regarded as one of the best sandalwood oils in 1938.
• 1942: Oil was assessed to contain a minimum of 90% santalol.
• 1996: Mysore sandalwood oil production accounted for about 70% of world sandalwood production according to the source.

Traditional & Cultural Importance

• Sandalwood has deep importance in the religious, social and ceremonial life of India.
• Swami Vivekananda associated Mysore strongly with sandalwood.
• Sandalwood heartwood is naturally resistant to insect attack.
• Heartwood has traditionally been used for:
  • Furniture
  • Temple structures

Traditional Medicine

• Ayurveda: Sandalwood is traditionally used for conditions including urinary problems, prostate dysfunction, diarrhoea, earache and lung infections.
• Traditional Chinese medicine: Used traditionally for conditions including cholera, gonorrhea and abdominal pain.

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