Pure White Sandalwood

White sandalwood — safed chandan — is the fragrant wood of Indian worship. Its aroma is soft and milky-sweet, and it deepens the longer you hold the piece, which is why it has been ground into tilak paste and offered in temples for centuries.

Which form do you need?

• A stick if you want to grind fresh paste yourself on a stone. Traditional, and the aroma is at its strongest the moment it is made.
• Powder if you want convenience — mix with water or rose water for tilak, or with besan and milk for ubtan and face packs.
• Oil for aarti, for diffusing during meditation, or diluted into a carrier oil for skin.
• A mala for japa and mantra practice — the beads warm and release their scent with use.

Looking for the red wood instead?

See red sandalwood (lal chandan). It carries little fragrance, but is traditionally valued for its deep natural colour and its cooling quality on the skin.