What is Bael Tree called in different Indian languages?

बेल Bel (Hindi); Vilvam (Tamil); Sandiliyamu (Telugu); ಬೆಳವು Belavu (Kannada); Vilvam (Malayalam); बेल Bel (Marathi); বেল Bel (Bengali); Bili (Gujarati); ବେଲ (Odia); ਬੇਲ (Punjabi); बिल्व (Sanskrit).

Why are bael leaves offered to Lord Shiva?

The three-part bilva leaf is considered especially dear to Shiva and is a central offering in his worship across India.

What is bael fruit used for?

The pulp is made into the cooling drink bel sharbat and is a long-standing Ayurvedic remedy for digestion — a traditional use rather than medical advice.

✿Rutaceae · Aegle

Bel / Bael Tree

Aegle marmelos

Also known as Holy Tree, Bengal Quince, Holy Fruit Tree, Indian Bael, Stone Apple, Wood Apple

TreeMedicinal

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana & more
Flowering: January-May

Identify this plant with SASYA

How to identify Bel

Identify Bel by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Look for a tree habit.
Confirm leaf type: Trifoliolate.
Confirm fruit type: Hard-shelled large berry.
Use the leaf pattern: alternate leaf arrangement, compound leaves, toothed leaf margins, pinnate venation.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: January-May.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Rutaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Bel.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Aegle marmelos
Genus: Aegle
Family: Rutaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Deciduous forests, also temple premises and homesteads
Habitat type: Forest
Native to: India
Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Indo-China; widely cultivated in Southeast Asia, Malesia, Tropical Africa and the United States
Found in India: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir
Flowering & fruiting: January-May
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf type: Trifoliolaterecorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement: Alternate
Margin: Toothed
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bel itself; the rest are typical of the Rutaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Fruit type: Hard-shelled large berryrecorded

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Cyme
Fruit: Berry

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bel itself; the rest are typical of the Rutaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi: बेल Bel, beli,बेल bel,श्रीफल shriphal
Nepali: बेल
Bengali: বেল Bel, Bel, বেল
Tamil: Vilvam, வில்வம், வில்வ மரம்
Telugu: Sandiliyamu, బిల్వ చెట్టు, మారేడు
Kannada: ಬೆಳವು Belavu, ಬೆಲ್ಲವತ್ತ Bellavatta, ಬಿಲ್ಪತ್ರೆ Bilpatre, ಬಿಲ್ವ
Malayalam: Vilvam, കൂവളം, Bael
Marathi: बेल Bel, Maredu, बेल
Sanskrit: बिल्व, बिल्वः
Gujarati: Bili
Odia: ବେଲ
Punjabi: ਬੇਲ
Assamese: বেল
Urdu: بیل
Sinhala: බෙලි

Bel in India

Bael is a sacred fruit tree of India, closely tied to Lord Shiva — बेल Bel (Hindi), Vilvam (Tamil), Sandiliyamu (Telugu), ಬೆಳವು Belavu (Kannada), Vilvam (Malayalam), बेल Bel (Marathi). Native to India, Aegle marmelos is recorded across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat, often planted by temples and in home gardens.

Uses

Its trifoliate leaves (bilva patra) are essential in the worship of Shiva. The hard-shelled fruit makes the cooling summer drink bel sharbat and is a classic Ayurvedic digestive — attributed traditional uses described here for information, not medical advice.

How to Identify Bel

A thorny tree in the citrus family with leaves divided into three leaflets that are aromatic when crushed. The greenish-white flowers are sweetly scented, and the round fruit has a smooth, woody grey-green rind enclosing aromatic orange pulp and seeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bael Tree called in different Indian languages?: बेल Bel (Hindi); Vilvam (Tamil); Sandiliyamu (Telugu); ಬೆಳವು Belavu (Kannada); Vilvam (Malayalam); बेल Bel (Marathi); বেল Bel (Bengali); Bili (Gujarati); ବେଲ (Odia); ਬੇਲ (Punjabi); बिल्व (Sanskrit).
Why are bael leaves offered to Lord Shiva?: The three-part bilva leaf is considered especially dear to Shiva and is a central offering in his worship across India.
What is bael fruit used for?: The pulp is made into the cooling drink bel sharbat and is a long-standing Ayurvedic remedy for digestion — a traditional use rather than medical advice.

Botanical family

Rutaceae

Citrus/Rue family

Bel belongs to the Rutaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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More in Rutaceae

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Sources: GBIF — Aegle marmelos (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Aegle marmelos (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Aegle marmelos (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)