Bael

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Subfamily: Aurantioideae
Tribe: lauseneae
!enus: Aegle
orr"a
Species: A. marmelos
Binomial name
Aegle marmelos
(#$) orr$Serr$
Bael
From &ikipedia' t(e free encyclopedia
Bael (Aegle marmelos) (also kno)n as Bengal quince' stone
apple)' Bilva or

(Tamil) is a species of tree nati*e to

+ndia$ +t is present t(roug(out Sout(east Asia as a naturali,ed
species$
-./
T(e tree is considered to be sacred by 0indus$ +ts fruits are
used in traditional medicine and as a food t(roug(out its range$
Contents
. 1otanical information
2 Fruit
3 4ses
3$. 4se in religious rituals
5 0a,ards
6 #ocal names
7 References
8 Furt(er reading
9 E:ternal links
Botanical information
1ael is t(e only member of t(e monotypic genus Aegle$
-./
+t is a mid;
si,ed' slender' aromatic' armed' gum;bearing tree gro)ing up to .9
meters tall$
1ael occurs in dry forests on (ills and plains of nort(ern' central and
sout(ern +ndia' sout(ern <epal' Sri #anka' =yanmar' Pakistan'
1anglades(' >ietnam' #aos' ambodia and T(ailand$ +t is culti*ated
t(roug(out +ndia' as )ell as in Sri #anka' t(e nort(ern =alay
Peninsula' ?a*a' t(e P(ilippines' and Fi@i$ +t (as a reputation in +ndia
for being able to gro) in places t(at ot(er trees cannot$ +t copes )it(
a )ide range of soil conditions (p0 range 6;.A)' is tolerant of
)aterlogging and (as an unusually )ide temperature tolerance (from ;
8B to 59B)$ +t reCuires a pronounced dry season to gi*e fruit$
T(is tree is a lar*al foodplant for t(e follo)ing t)o +ndian S)allo)tail butterflies:
T(e #ime 1utterfly: Papilio demoleus
T(e ommon =ormon: Papilio polytes
Fruit
T(e bael fruit (as a smoot(' )oody s(ell )it( a green' gray' or yello) peel$ +t takes about .. mont(s to ripen
on t(e tree and can reac( t(e si,e of a large grapefruit or pomelo' and some are e*en larger$ T(e s(ell is so (ard
A ripe bael fruit in +ndia
1ael fruit
1ili Tree
it must be cracked )it( a (ammer or mac(ete$ T(e fibrous yello) pulp is *ery
aromatic$ +t (as been described as tasting of marmalade and smelling of roses$
<umerous (airy seeds are encapsulated in a slimy mucilage$
Uses
T(e fruit is eaten fres( or dried$ +f fres(' t(e @uice is strained and s)eetened to
make a drink similar to lemonade$ +t can be made into s(arbat (0indi) or Bela
pana (Oriya: ) or bel pana (1engali: )' a refres(ing drink made
of t(e pulp )it( )ater' sugar' and lime @uice' mi:ed' left to stand a fe) (ours'
strained' and put on ice$ One large bael fruit may yield fi*e or si: liters of s(arbat$
+f t(e fruit is to be dried' it is usually sliced and sun;dried$ T(e (ard leat(ery slices
are t(en simmered in )ater$
T(e lea*es and small s(oots are eaten as salad greens$
T(e Tamil Sidd(ars call t(e plant koovilam (

) and use t(e fragrant

lea*es for medicinal purposes' including dyspepsia and sinusitis$
-citation needed/
A
confection called ilakam (

) is made of t(e fruit and used to treat

tuberculosis and loss of appetite$
-2/
+t is used in Ayur*eda for many
purposes' especially c(ronic constipation$
-citation needed/
Use in religious rituals
T(e fruit is also used in religious rituals$ +n 0induism t(e tree is sacred$
+t is used in t(e )ors(ip of S(i*a' )(o is said to fa*or t(e lea*es$ T(e
trifoliate lea*es symboli,e t(e trident t(at S(i*a (olds in (is rig(t (and$
T(e fruits )ere used in place of coconuts before large;scale rail
transportation )as a*ailable$ T(e fruit is said to resemble a skull )it(
a )(ite' bone;like outer s(ell and a soft inner part' and is sometimes
called seer phael ((ead;fruit)$ 0o)e*er' it is Cuite likely t(at' t(e term
DSeer P(alD (as coined from t(e Sanskrit term DShreePhal' )(ic(
again is a common name for t(is fruit$ =any 0indus (a*e bael trees in
t(eir courtyards$
+n t(e traditional <e)ari culture of <epal' t(e bael tree is part of a
fertility ritual for girls kno)n as t(e Bel baha$ !irls are EmarriedE to
t(e bael fruit and as long as t(e fruit is kept safe and ne*er cracks t(e
girl can ne*er become )ido)ed' e*en if (er (uman (usband dies$ T(is )as seen to be protection against t(e
social disdain suffered by )ido)sin <e)ari community $
Hazards
Furing t(e bael season t(ere is danger from falling fruits )(ic( are *ery (ard and (ea*y$ T(ey can cause in@ury
and property damage$
Local names
Sout(;East Asia
1urmese: GouD s(iDG or GoHI JiIG
K(mer: GpnK*G
#ao: GmLMk tuMmG
=alay: pokok maja batu (tree)
T(ai: GmatuumG (tree: Gton matuumGN fruit luug matuum)
Sout( Asia
Assamese:
0indi: (Sirp(al)
!u@arati:
4rdu: (1ael)OPQ' (Sirp(al) ORS TUV
Oriya:
1engali:
Kannada:
Konkani: gorakamli
=alayalam:
=arat(i: or (Ka*eet()
Pun@abi: Beel
Sanskrit :
Sind(i: WXYZ [\]
Sin(alese: (1eli)
Tamil:

(>il*am)
Telugu: (maredu)
Sir Phal (old 0indi)
References
.$ ^
a

b
EPurdue 0orticultureE ((ttp:GG)))$(ort$purdue$eduGne)cropGropFactS(eetsGbael$(tml) $
0ort$purdue$edu$ (ttp:GG)))$(ort$purdue$eduGne)cropGropFactS(eetsGbael$(tml$ Retrie*ed 2A.2;A2;.6$
2$ ^ Raamac(andran' ?$ Herbs of Siddha Medicines' T(e First 3F 1ook on 0erbs' pp$.7$
Further reading
0$K$1ak(ru (.__8)$ Foods that Heal. The atural !ay to "ood Health$ Orient Paperbacks$ +S1< 9.;
222;AA33;9$
External lins
(is(olm' 0ug(' ed$ (._..)$ E1ael FruitE$ #ncyclop$dia Britannica (..t( ed$)$ ambridge
4ni*ersity Press$
aldecott' Todd (2AA7)$ %yurveda& The 'ivine Science of (ife$ Else*ierG=osby$ +S1< A;8235;
35.A;8$ ontains a detailed monograp( on %egle marmelos (1il)a) as )ell as a discussion of (ealt(
benefits and usage in clinical practice$ A*ailable online at
(ttp:GG)))$toddcaldecott$comGinde:$p(pG(erbsGlearning;(erbsG398;bil*a
Retrie*ed from E(ttp:GGen$)ikipedia$orgG)Ginde:$p(p`titlea1aelboldida6.655A83.E
ategories: Rutaceae Fruits originating in Asia rops originating from +ndia Flora of 1urma
Flora of <epal Flora of +ndia 0indu plant )ors(ip Plants used in Ayur*eda
T(is page )as last modified on . October 2A.2 at A_:57$
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