A sandalwood consignment was ceremoniously handed over by Indian ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee to the chief priest at the temple this week. The sweet-scented, whitish paste of sandalwood is a must for all Hindu religious rites. Priests at the temple of Pashupatinath use it to adorn the deity as well as apply it on the forehead of the devotees as blessings.

However, Nepal, though rich in herbs, does not grow sandalwood. The kingdom's stock of sandalwood dwindled in 2001 when a massacre in the royal palace killed king Birendra, his wife Queen Aishwarya, their three children and eight others. Since sandalwood is used for royal pyres, large quantities of it were spent.

In 2004, Nepal asked New Delhi for 1,000 kg of the precious wood, routing the request through the then Indian ambassador here, Shyam Sharan, currently India's foreign secretary. The request put the Indian government in a quandary since there are restrictions on the export of sandalwood.

However, showing some flexibility, New Delhi asked the country's two major sandalwood-growing states, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, if they could meet the requirement.

Although Karnataka refused flatly, Tamil Nadu agreed to do what it could. A cabinet meeting had to be held to approve the handover. But even Tamil Nadu couldn't meet the entire demand and agreed to send 246 kg, worth nearly Rs.900,000.

The cargo was sent to New Delhi from Chennai, from where it reached Nepal via Uttar Pradesh.

With highway robberies increasing in Nepal and Maoist guerrillas confiscating vehicles, it was a miracle the cargo reached its destination safely.

Thousands of Indian pilgrims are among those who visit the shrine. The Indian government is building a 'dharamshala' (pilgrim rest-house) near the temple to facilitate the stay of pilgrims on a shoestring budget.