International Journal of
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Opinion Volume 10 Issue 3
Bilva: A God’s Fruit
Rekha Ganesh Kotyan
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Mahanasa Healthy Kitchen Services, India
Correspondence: Rekha Ganesh Kotyan, Mahanasa Healthy Kitchen Services LLP, # 57/1, 2nd cross, 3rd main, AECS Layout 1st stage, Sanjay Nagar, Bangalore-560094, India
Received: June 16, 2016 | Published: December 29, 2017
Citation: Kotyan RG (2017) Bilva: A God’s Fruit. Int J Complement Alt Med 10(3): 00334. DOI: 10.15406/ijcam.2017.10.00334
Opinion
World health organization listed around 21000 medicinal plants in the world, among them about 2500 plant species being used in Indian system of medicine. With or without our knowledge we are using those medicinal plants in day today life either for cooking or spiritual reason in India. But when we use it judicially and clocking with basic principles they give miraculous curative effect on our health issues.
Beal or Bilva tree is sacred tree to Hindus since Vedic time. It has been extensively described in vedic literatures. The leaves are ternate called as “Tripatra” (3 leaves) and commonly known as “Shiva dhruma”. These leaves are offered in prayers to Shiva and Parvathi whose worship cannot be completed without Bilva leaves and tree usually cultivated near temple. The whole tree is said to possess essence of celestial light. Also, each part of tree is highly potent. In skanda purana Bilva is considered as one among kalpa vruksha that emerged during ksheerasagara manthana. In Padma purana told that, offering bilva leaves by chanting mantra to lord shiva brings fortunes. Uses of this plant told in Indian manuscripts like Yajurveda and Mahabharatha.
Aegel mermelos is botanical name of Bilva and it belongs to Rutaceae family. It is a medium large sized deciduous thorny plant, grows upto 30–40 feet with limited number of branches that are irregular/crooked. Branchlets are long tender and drooping with alternate, trifoliate, gland dotted semi succulent glabrous leaves. Flowers are Greenish white with sweet scented. Fruits are sub–spherical to pear shaped, can reach size of large grape fruit or even big, and smooth woody shell with a green, gray or yellow peel. Bilva tree is native of india and is found widely in Asia, Srilanka, Pakistan, Banlgadesh, Thailand etc.
Medicinal uses: The unripe Bilva fruit helps to cure disorders caused due to Vata and Kapha. Due to its Astringent, bitter and pungent taste it increases Pitta and enhances the strength of digestion and other metabolic activities significantly. Most effect in chronic diarrhea and ulcerative colitis. Sliced and dried unripe fruit of bilva reduced into powder and can be used it for acute or chronic dysentery. As a home remedy baked unripe fruit pulp with jaggery can be taken after consulting your physician.
Bilva root tastes sweet and increases appetite. It has anti–inflammatory property and helps to balance Tridosha– vata, pitta,kapha . Mainly used in ulcerative colitis and reduces vomiting, stomach cramp, pain etc
The Bilva leaves infusion best remedy for peptic ulcer. Leaves should be soaked in water overnight and in the morning strain it and use it as beverage every day. Not only peptic ulcer it relieves dyspepsia, sinusitis, cold, gastritis and indigestion.
The Bilva stem bark helps to treat rheumatoid arthritis, cold and cough. It has astringent and pungent taste works as absorbent and best carminative. Even in cardiac problems it is beneficial.
Home remedies
- Bilva leaves crush it and extracted juice reduces the sugar level in diabetic patients
- Eating Bilva fruit pulp, Honey and Jaggery everyday about 40 days beneficial for tuberculosis
- In case of loss of appetite 1 tbs of dried Bilva leaves with a glass of buttermilk every day for 3 days
- For elimination of intestinal worms 5 gm of dried bilva fruit pulp powder with warm water 2 times a day for 3 days.
Bilva soup recipe
- Ingredient
- Barley – ¼ cup
- Jujube seeds–1/4 cup
- Horsegram – ¼ cup
- Green gram – ¼ cup
- Urad dal – ¼ cup
- Bilva unripe fruit powder – 2 tbs
- Buttermilk – ½ cup
- Jeera – ½ tbs
- Ghee – ½ tbs
- Mustard – ¼ tbs
- Hingu – 2 pinch
- Salt – for taste
- Procedure
- Soak Barley, Horse gram, jujube seeds, green gram, urad dal separately for 3 hours
- In a thick bottomed kadai / pressure cooker cook all these soaked grains and add bilva fruit powder, little ghee and salt.
- Once it cooked thoroughly take it out and transfer it into bowl
- Once it is warm add butter milk, sprinkle jeera powder
- Season it with ghee, mustard seeds and hingu.
Acknowledgments
None.
Conflicts of interest
The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
Funding
None.
©2017 Kotyan. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.