Chandra Salim Collects Hundreds of Precious Agarwoods

Denpasar, 28/9 (Atnews) — Chandra Salim has collected hundreds of items of agarwood since ten years ago. He is also the Supervisory Board of the Central Executive Board of Nawa Cita Pariwisata Indonesia (NCPI) and Ethical Supervisory Board of the Association of Indonesia Tours and Travel Agency (ASITA). The man living at Jalan Arwana No. 17 Jimbaran, Badung, is quite interested in agarwood because it is known by the Dayak people of Kalimantan to be a god wood having high benefits for life.

According to him, all religions take advantage of agarwood as a means to perform rituals. Various rituals from birth, maintaining life balance to rejection of disasters and healing use this wood.

“All religions use agarwood whether Hinduism, Buddhism, Christian (agarwood oil), Islam (prayer beads) including Arabians,” said Chandra in Denpasar on Saturday (Sep. 28).

Moreover, the medicinal benefits of agarwood have been researched by Chinese people from the days of the kingdom. They believe it can be used as disaster repellent and neutralize negative energies. Meanwhile, the best agarwood in Indonesia can be found on the Island of Borneo, but has been widely exported.

To that end, his party began to get interested in saving and hunting for the agarwood which is already a rare species. “I like the smell of the agarwood. However, the original one smells a little but when exposed to the sun and body temperature its fragrance will increase,” he said.

Indeed, he admitted that he used to like antiques. He added the uniqueness of agarwood produced by nature can even be in the shape of Komodo dragon. On that account, he believed this kind of agarwood has good energy and vibration.

In addition to the naturally shaped agarwood, the agarwood collections of Chandra Salim are also sculptured as well as made into high-selling agarwood bracelets and even into sticks for Hindu masters or priests. This effort is meant to maintain the unique shape of agarwood so as to remain eternal.

Therefore, he only serves those who show off a serious interest and can understand the benefits and philosophy of the agarwood. Some of his agarwood collections have even been bargained at billions of rupiahs per item by agarwood lovers from home and overseas.

Typical fragrance smells of agarwood can be immediately experienced at his residence. The existing agarwood owned by Chandra Salim at his home consists of three types namely Valeria, Trinof and Valensis agarwood having the highest quality.

Agarwood collections of Chandra Salim remain intact and original from nature as they were found in the middle of the forest. Meanwhile, some of the agarwood collections had been made into a sculpture or carved with a variety of themes.

One of the collections, namely a carved agarwood weighing twelve kilograms, has been bargained by agarwood lovers worth IDR 2 billion about six years ago, but until now it has not been released. Truthfully, the location is much sought after but has not yet been known. 

All of the agarwood of his collections have been completed by the SDN Permit issued by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKDSA). 

Chandra Salim is active as Patron of the INTI Bali, Advisor to FBN-Bali (Bali State Defense Forum), Advisor to the Association of United Young Indonesian Advocates (Hami) of Bali Chapter and former Chairman of the Indonesia Tour Guide Association (HPI) of Bali Chapter for Mandarin Division and Central Executive Board of ASITA for China Committee. (ART/02)