Sandal Tree

Sandal tree (Santalum album), A tree which yields an aromatic wood, much used in the pagodas for purposes of fumigation, and which is, therefore, an important article of commerce. The Hindus also grind it to a fine powder, which they dilute with water taken from the Ganges until it becomes a thin paste, with which they mark the forehead and breast each day, after bathing, in accordance with the particular worship they profess.