India! The country with amazing diversity and wonders has many champions. All these are real facts and real records. Most of them are certified by authentic record books like Guiness Book of Records & Limca Book of Records. I am trying to tabulate as many as I can. Please help me in my efforts by adding more facts and records.

Friday, November 14, 2008

WORLD'S COSTLIEST WOOD


The price of this wood is comparable with that of silver, which is a costly metal used in jewellery. No doubt, this is the worl'd costliest wood. Santalum album, or Indian sandalwood, is currently endangered and consequently very expensive.

Although all sandalwood trees in India and Nepal are government-owned and their harvest is strictly controlled, many trees are illegally cut down and smuggled out of the country. Sandalwood essential oil prices have risen up to $1000-1500 per kg in the last 5 years. Some countries regard the sandal oil trade as ecologically harmful because it encourages the overharvesting of sandalwood trees. Sandalwood from Mysore region of Karnataka, Southern India is widely considered to be of the highest quality available. New plantations have been set up with international aid in Tamilnadu in order to facilitate the economic benefits of sandalwood. Today, in Kununurra in Western Australia, Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) is being grown on a very large scale. Huge plantations surround this picturesque little town.
Sandalwood Prices, 1900-1990

Year Rs/Ton

1900 365
1933 1,000
1965 6,000
1970 10,000
1980 31,000
1987 78,000
1990 160,000

3 comments:

anasuya said...

I appreciate your effort at putting together all these records at one place. I just wanted to bring to your notice that the flower pasted alongside the sandal leaves are definitely not of the sandalwood tree. Knowing your penchant for perfection, I'm sure you'll rectify this error. Keep up the great work.

Raju said...

Thanks for your attention Anasuya. I admit that I have never seen sandalwood with my own eyes, but I got this image from a reputed source. If you have any good image of the correct flower, you can pass it over so that I can publish the same.

Anonymous said...

Hi thr, thanx a lot for this blog .. This was exactly what I was looking for.

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