Bael tree ( Bela )

 

Bael tree ( Bela ) is a deciduous tree belonging to the Rutaceae family and its scientific name is Eagle Marmelos. Lemons and oranges also belong to the family Rutaceae. Bel is a tree native to North India and is found in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand etc. It is found naturally grown in countries. Bela is cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Java, Philippines and Fiji. Bella’s Eagle Marmelos is the only species of eagle species. In India it is found growing in ruksha places, where other trees do not grow, in regions with low rainfall.

Bael tree ( Bela ) 8–14 m. It grows tall and has thorns on it. Trunk girth 1–1·5 m. It is gray in color. The bark is soft and scaly. The leaves are compound, green, trifoliate and alternate, with straight and large spines in the axils of the leaves. Oil spots appear on the leaves. Leaves fall in the months of March–April and fall again at the end of summer. The flowers are small, greenish-white and fragrant and come in clusters. The fruit is thick-skinned, round, yellow and hard and comes in monsoons. It usually takes 11 months to ripen the fruit. It has thick, sweet, fragrant, orange and mucilaginous juice. Gara contains flat seeds with a woolly coat. The shell of the fruit is so hard that it has to be broken with a hammer. Fruiting requires dry weather.

Must read – Bibba ( Marking Nut Tree )

Bael tree ( Bela ) leaves are medicinal and useful in cough and eye disorders. Perfume is made from flowers. As the raw fruit is digestive and increases appetite, it is effective against diarrhea. The dye extracted from the raw fruit peel is used to dye cloth. The juice of ripe bela fruit is fragrant, cool and juicy. Marmelosin is an ingredient in it and it is astringent and diuretic. They make syrup from fruits. This syrup is useful for constipation and constipation. The gum of bela tree is useful. Because the fruits are hard and thick, the fruits on the tree can fall on the body and cause injury to someone.

Uses of Bella

Bela fruit is very medicinal for stomach disorders. Fruit marmalade is made.

Ayurvedic texts such as Bhavprakash, Sushruta Sahinta, Bhaishajya Ratnavali etc. have given information about the use of Bela.

Read also – Almond
Bilva fruit is known as antipyretic, vata kapha sedative, laxative, dipankari, beneficial for the heart, lactating, kidney and sugar reducer in the body.

Beet contains sugar-reducing agent, tannic acid, volatile oil, tannins, and marcellanes
Night blindness, headache, tumor in the head, tuberculosis, deafness, heart disease, stomach pain, indigestion, acidity, heartburn, constipation, blood disorder, diabetes, dropsy, skin disease, rheumatic fever, weakness, fire burn, ulcerated goiter, thirst disorder, dysentery, bilious diarrhea etc. Bell is particularly effective in disorders.

Gara pods should be put in sugar paste equal to their weight and mixed with nutmeg powder, nutmeg and saffron in proper quantity and the mixture should be boiled for eight weeks to make bela marmalade.

Source – Marathi vishwakosha 

बेल

Read more – 

Fennel

Bakul ( Bullet wood )

Mint