Sandalwood Garlands of Karnataka

Sandal wood, or Chandan in Hindi, is worshipped as a holy object and is thought to be a divine gift. Karnataka accounts for roughly 70% of global Sandalwood output. Karnataka is home to the Gudigars, families who have been working in sandalwood crafts for decades. They are concentrated in the Shimoga district’s Sagar and Sorab areas, and they are educated in the art since childhood. The Gudigar men carve gods, figurines, and trinkets such as penholders, agarbati stands, cuff ties, picture frames, and paper clips, while the women carve garlands and wreaths out of thin layers of scraped sandalwood.  These are made from the sandalwood shavings, which are shaped and strung on string in particular patterns to form the garlands. The shavings are left in their natural form with no painting or any other form of embellishment.