Pure Sandalwood Stick (Chandan)

A solid piece of white sandalwood heartwood — safed chandan — for grinding fresh tilak paste on a stone. Never blended, dyed or artificially scented. Rub it on a wet stone and the paste comes up pale, smooth and fragrant in about a minute.

What you are buying

• Solid white sandalwood heartwood, sold by weight
• Natural oil content — the aroma deepens as you rub, and the piece keeps its scent for years
• No blending, no dye, no synthetic fragrance
• Every batch third-party lab-tested

Choosing a weight

Sticks are sold by weight rather than length, so shape varies. As a rough guide:

• 40–50 g — daily tilak at a home shrine. Lasts a household several months
• 90–150 g — regular home pooja, or a small temple
• 190–250 g — temple use, havan and festivals
• 440 g and above — ceremonies, antim sanskar, Ayurvedic preparation, resale

How to grind chandan paste

Sprinkle a little water on a flat grinding stone. Hold the stick at a shallow angle and rub in slow, steady circles — slowly is the key, since speed gives you a rough paste. After a minute or two a smooth pale paste gathers at the edge of the stone. Scrape it up with a small spoon and use it fresh.

Used for

• Daily pooja, aarti and home temple ritual
• Tilak — cooling on the forehead
• Japa and meditation
• Havan and religious ceremonies
• Antim sanskar and last rites
• Chandan face paste, ubtan and traditional Ayurvedic preparation

Natural characteristics

This is natural heartwood, so colour ranges from pale cream to light yellow-brown and the grain differs from piece to piece. Small surface cracks and irregular shape are normal and do not affect the wood. If the aroma seems faint when it arrives, rub the stick between your palms — the scent lives in the oil and rises with friction.

Care and storage

Keep it dry, wrapped, and away from perfume, soap and strongly scented household items — sandalwood absorbs surrounding odours readily. Wipe your grinding stone clean after each use so old paste does not dry onto it. Stored properly, a chandan stick holds its fragrance for many years.

Frequently asked questions

How long will a 50 g stick last?
For daily tilak in one household, several months. Each application uses only a little paste, and grinding removes very little wood.

Do I need a special stone?
A flat, fine-grained stone (ghisa) is traditional and gives the smoothest paste, but any flat unglazed stone surface will work.

Why does the shape vary?
Sticks are cut from whole heartwood and sold by weight, so every piece differs. You are buying grams of sandalwood, not a fixed shape.

Is this the same as red sandalwood?
No. This is white sandalwood, the fragrant one. Red sandalwood has almost no scent and is used for its colour — see our comparison guide.

Can I use it on skin?
Chandan paste is traditionally applied to cool and soothe the skin. These are traditional uses rather than medical claims — patch-test first if your skin is sensitive.

You may also need

Prefer to skip the grinding stone? Pure sandalwood powder gives you the same paste in seconds. For japa, see our 108-bead chandan malas. For aarti and diffusing, pure sandalwood oil.