ABSTRACT
Aegle marmelos (Bael) is also known as Bilva in Sanskrit language. In Ayurveda, it is more commonly known by the same name. This herb has great medicinal, spiritual, and religious significance. Its fruits and leaves are considered sacred and used as offerings to the Hindu Gods like Lord Shiva. This is why it is also known as “Shiva druma” or the tree of Shiva in ancient scriptures. Bilva is also known for its great properties of keeping blood sugar levels under control for which it is being explored far and wide. It is also great for digestion and helps to keep the intestines healthy. Different parts of this herb are used for different purposes. Its fruit is relished as a whole as well as for its chilled juice which is very good to beat the heat in hot and scorching summers like those of northern India. The leaves are also a significant contributor to the many beneficial properties that Bilva herb exhibits. The old yellow fruits of this tree turn green after one year. It contains tannic acid, volatile oil, and mucilaginous liquid. Bael plant acts as a “Sink” for chemical pollutants as it absorbs poisonous gases from atmosphere and makes them inert or neutral. It is a member of plant species group known as “Climate purifier” which emits greater 36percentage of oxygen in sunlight as compared to other plants. The tree is also considered under the category of “fragrant species” whose flower and volatile vapors neutralize bad smell of petrified organic matter and thus save human life from bacterial attack by making them inert and deodorizing the bad odor of air.
