Kayomarz Patel’s letter, ("Scarcity of sandalwood,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, November 2003) was logical and telling.
I do not know why we Parsis offer sandalwood at the fire altars. Sandalwood is not mentioned in our scriptures and was not offered by the ancient and medieval Zoroastrians in Iran and "extended Iran.” Sandalwood is a product of tropical countries, like agar and loban (aloe and frankincense) are the products of tropical Iraq and Arabia. It was unknown to the Iranian Zoroastrians.
We started offering sandalwood after coming to India and learning of its highly aromatic property. In Atash Nyaish it is specifically mentioned that......