Also know as the Bengal Quince  the Stone or Wood apple and the Japanese Bitter Orange. This tree is native to the Indian sub continent.

The leaves are trifoliate and are symbols of the Hindu Trinity of Shiva , Brahma and Vishnu, the three eyes of Lord Shiva, with power of decision, knowledge and action being the 3 lingas, and being the 3 syllables of Ombar.

This tree is said to be the embodiment of Lord Shiva and considered sacred.  The leaves are called ‘bilva’, and are made as offerings to Lord Shiva, and placed in a face down position.

In Hinduism by worshipping Lord Shiva with the sacred ‘bilva’ leaves, the devotee is blessed with divine bliss, associated with the divine Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi.

The Bael fruit is the size of a football and the juice extracted is considered very healthy and plays a big part in Ayurvedic medicine.  It dates back over 2000 years and was used as a treatment for many ailments from diabetes to asthma and cholera.

Offering prayers under the Bael tree is beneficial to the devotee and gifts them happiness and prosperity.

To take a bath under a bael tree has the same significance and importance as bathing in the river Ganges or sacred waters of a Hindu temple.

The bael tree has also been known as ‘shreebriksha’ and in ancient sanskrit ‘banihipurana’.

The bael tree belongs to the family Rutaceae which includes oranges and lemons

The leaves are said to contain more sattva which lends itself to absorbing and emitting sattvik frequencies which agitate the rajatams particles in the atmosphere.

A bilva leaf aids in the neutralising of bad energy if it is placed in close proximity.  This takes place on various levels as the negative energy is introduced to the predominant satva environment so aiding in the healing.

Lighting an earthen lamp under the Bael/ bilva tree bestows the devotee with knowledge of truth.

If Shiva devotee eats rice cooked with milk and gher at the root of the bilva tree it is given that they will reap fruits 10 million times more than is the average and will never be poor.

In regards medicinal properties, it is believed to be blessed with divine powers through goddesses that live in the tree.  Girja in the roots, maheswari on its shoulder, Dukshayani on its branches, Parvati in the leaves, Katyayani in its fruit and the Saktis in the thorns.