Arhar / Pigeon Pea
Cajanus cajan
Also known as Congo Pea, Red Gram
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal & more
- Flowering
- June-February
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Cajanus cajan
- Genus
- Cajanus
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Cultivated
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Africa
- Distribution
- In Tropics
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra
- Flowering & fruiting
- June-February
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Fabaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- अरहर Arhar, तुवर Tuvar, arhar, tuver
- Nepali
- रहर Rahar
- Bengali
- অড়হর Arahar
- Tamil
- ஆடகி Adhaki, இருப்புலி Iruppuli, காய்ச்சி Kaycci
- Telugu
- ఆఢకి adhaki, కంది kandi, తొగరి togari
- Kannada
- ತೊಗರಿ ಬೇಳೆ Togari bele, ತೊಗರಿ ಕಾಳು Togari kalu, ತೊಗರಿ Togari
- Malayalam
- ആഢകി adhaki, തുവര Tuvara
- Marathi
- तूर Tur
Arhar in India
Pigeon pea, called अरहर Arhar (Hindi), ஆடகி Adhaki (Tamil), ఆఢకి adhaki (Telugu), ತೊಗರಿ ಬೇಳೆ Togari bele (Kannada), ആഢകി adhaki (Malayalam), तूर Tur (Marathi), is India's single most important pulse crop by area grown. Cajanus cajan is cultivated across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Andhra pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, usually rain-fed and often intercropped with cereals or cotton.
Uses
The dried split seeds are toor dal / arhar dal, the base of an everyday dal eaten across most of India; the green pods and seeds are also cooked as a fresh vegetable in season, and the woody stalks are used as fuel and fencing.
How to Identify Arhar
A woody-based shrubby legume, usually grown as an annual, one to three metres tall. Leaves are trifoliate (three leaflets) and downy underneath. Flowers are yellow, often streaked with reddish-purple veining, followed by flattened, slightly curved pods with a few seeds each.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Pigeon Pea called in different Indian languages?
- अरहर Arhar (Hindi); ஆடகி Adhaki (Tamil); ఆఢకి adhaki (Telugu); ತೊಗರಿ ಬೇಳೆ Togari bele (Kannada); ആഢകി adhaki (Malayalam); तूर Tur (Marathi); অড়হর Arahar (Bengali).
- Is arhar dal the same as toor dal?
- Yes — arhar and toor are regional Hindi/Marathi names for the same split, dried seed of Cajanus cajan.
- Is pigeon pea a tree or a crop?
- It's a short-lived shrub grown as an annual field crop, not a tree, though its woody stem can persist for a couple of seasons if left uncut.
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Arhar belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Fabaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Fabaceae
View all Fabaceae →Sources: GBIF — Cajanus cajan (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Cajanus cajan (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)