Bael

Bael

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Subfamily:	Aurantioideae
Tribe:	Clauseneae
Genus:	Aegle Corrêa
Species:	A. marmelos
Binomial name
*Aegle marmelos* (L.) Corr.Serr.

Bael (Aegle marmelos) বাংলাঃ বেল (Hindi:बेल) is a middle sized slender aromatic armed tree native to India. It has since spread to throughout South-east Asia. It is a gum-bearing tree.

1 Habitat
2 Alternative names
3 Habit
4 Uses
5 Use in religious rituals
6 Gallery
7 Gallery (Bael growing in Florida)
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links

Habitat

Bael is indigenous to dry forests on hills and plains of central and southern India, southern Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. It is cultivated throughout India, as well as in Sri Lanka, northern Malay Peninsula, Java in the Philippines and Fiji Islands

Alternative names

It is also popularly known as Vilva maram, ( Vilva பழம்),Bilva, Bilwa, Bel, Kuvalam, Koovalam (കൂവളം,in Malayalam), Madtoum, or Beli fruit, Bengal quince, stone apple,Maredu (in Telugu),in Sindhi ڪاٺ گدرو and wood apple. The tree, which is the only species in the genus.

Sanskrit names:Bilva,Śalātu, Hṛdyagandha, Karkaṭa, Samirasāraka,Śivadruma,Triśikha, Śiveṣhṭa, Dūrāruha, Lakṣmī phala, Śalya, Mahākapithya etc.^[1]

In Javanese language it is called Maja which lent its name to Majapahit empire, since its capital was built on former betel forest.

Habit

Aegle, grows up to 18 meters tall and bears thorns and fragrant flowers. It has a woody-skinned, smooth fruit 5–15 cm in diameter. The skin of some forms of the fruit is so hard it must be cracked open with a hammer. It has numerous seeds, which are densely covered with fibrous hairs and are embedded in a thick, gluey, aromatic pulp.

Fruit at Narendrapur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Uses

The fruit is eaten fresh or dried. If fresh, the juice is strained and sweetened to make a drink similar to lemonade, and is also used in making sharbat, a refreshing drink where the pulp is mixed with lime juice. If the fruit is to be dried, it is usually sliced first and left to dry by the heat of the sun. The hard leathery slices are then placed in a pan with several litres of water which is then boiled and simmered. As for other parts of the plant, the leaves and small shoots are eaten as salad greens.

The Tamil Siddhars used koovilam (Tamil:கூவிளம், as Aegle Marmelos is called for many purposes. The leaves are used to cure sinusitis, dyspepsia and anorexia. A confection ("iLakam" in Tamil)(Tamil:இளகம் made of this fruit is used to cure tuberculosis, loss of appetite, emaciation etc. There are several such pharmacopoeia in Siddha medicine.^[2]

This tree is a larval foodplant for the following two Indian Swallowtail butterflies:

The Lime Butterfly: Papilio demoleus
The Common Mormon: Papilio polytes

Use in religious rituals

The fruit is also used in religious rituals and as a ayurvedic remedy for such ailments as diarrhea, dysentery, intestinal parasites, dryness of the eyes, and the common cold. It is a very powerful antidote for chronic constipation.

In Hinduism, the Bel (Bilwa) tree is very sacred. It is used in the worship of Shiva. Hindus believe that Lord Shiva will be pleased with Bilwa Pattra (leaf) Puja (worship). The importance of this tree in worship of Lord Shiva is mentioned in several sacred books.

In the Hindu religion, the Tri-foliate leaves typical of the Bael is seen as the 3-pronged Trident (Trisula) that Lord Shiva holds in his right hand. The Trident symbolizes his three fundamental Powers (shakti) of Will (iccha), Action (kriya) and Knowledge (jnana). The Trident also symbolizes the past, the present and the future.

Almost every temple in India would have one or more Bael trees in their courtyards.

In the traditional culture of Nepal, the Bael tree is part of an important fertility ritual for girls known as the Bel baha. In a very interesting ceremony, the Newars of Nepal and India marry off their daughters at puberty to a bael fruit. So long as the fruit is safely kept and does not crack open or decomposes, the girl can never become widowed, even if her human husband dies. It seems that for the Newars this age-old custom helped prevent atrocity to womenfolk who were widowed in the context of social disdain for widows in most other communities, particularly those from the Hindu religious system.

Gallery

trunk at Narendrapur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

tree at Narendrapur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

leaves at Narendrapur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Gallery (Bael growing in Florida)

Fruit and Spice Park, Homestead, Florida.	Fruit and Spice Park, Homestead, Florida.	Fruit and Spice Park, Homestead, Florida.	Fruit and Spice Park, Homestead, Florida.
Fruit and Spice Park, Homestead, Florida.	Fruit and Spice Park, Homestead, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.
Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.
Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.
Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.	Mounts Botanical Garden, West Palm Beach, Florida.

References

^ S G Joshi, Medicinal Plants, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, 2004, ISBN 81-204-1414-4, p.341
^ Dr.J.Raamachandran, HERBS OF SIDDHA MEDICINES, The First 3D Book on Herbs, pp.16