Arasamaram is Ficus religiosa, the peepal or bodhi tree — the heart-shaped, long-tipped leaf of Tamil temple yards and of the Buddha’s awakening story. Hindi peepal and Sanskrit aśvattha are the same tree when the seller is honest. It is not the edible common fig (Ficus carica) and it is not the banyan (F. benghalensis).
- Botanical name
- Ficus religiosa L.
- Family
- Moraceae
- Tamil
- Arasamaram
- Hindi
- Peepal
- Sanskrit
- Aśvattha
- Parts used
- Bark, Leaves, Figs (in traditional lists; not a dessert fig)
- Habit
- Large hemiepiphytic fig of villages and temples
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Arasamaram
Linnaeus published Ficus religiosa. The family is Moraceae. It is a large fig, often starting on another tree, with a pale trunk, hanging roots as it ages, and the unmistakable leaf: cordate with a drip-tip (caudate apex) that can be as long again as the blade.
The fig is a small sessile syconium in pairs, ripening purple. It is not a Smyrna dessert fig. Wasps and the tree keep their old contract.
Tamil arasamaram / arasa, Hindi peepal and Sanskrit aśvattha are the names. English bodhi tree and sacred fig are this species. Ficus benghalensis (alamaram, banyan) has broader, blunter leaves and pillar roots. F. carica is a cultivated Mediterranean fruit fig.
A tree in a Bodh Gaya story and a tree on a Tamil platform can be the same species with different plaques.
Bark in a vaithiyar’s tin should still look like bark. Powdered “peepal” is a weak determination.
The leaf is the public identification. Children learn the drip-tip before they learn the Latin name.
Latex is milky, as in other figs. That is a family mark, not a medicine.
The tree drops leaves and puts out copper-pink new ones in a flush that villages notice. That season is a calendar mark, not a harvest instruction for bark.
A platform around the trunk and a stone naga are cultural furniture. They do not change the Latin name and they are not a reason to strip the bark.
Traditional use of Arasamaram
Hindu and Buddhist practice
The tree is sacred. Offerings and shade are the best-documented uses. Religion does not require a medical claim.
Living temple and bodhi-tree practice
Ayurveda
Aśvattha bark and leaf appear in those lists. Historical headings are not a modern claim.
Ayurvedic headings
Modern notes on Arasamaram
A temple tree is not a supplement. Papers on bark extracts do not turn a peepal into a product.
The practical modern issue is cutting a sacred tree for a road, and powdered bark of unnamed Ficus.
Arasamaram safety
Latex can bother skin and eyes. Do not give bark decoctions to children.
Figs of this species are not a market dessert. Do not treat them as F. carica.
Ecology and sourcing
The tree is planted, protected and also wild. It can crack masonry as it grows. Fruit feeds birds; the species is not scarce. Honesty is about not stripping bark from a temple tree for a tin.
This is a name page. The tree should stay standing.
Related plants
Also in Moraceae
Questions about Arasamaram
Is peepal the same as banyan?
No. Peepal is Ficus religiosa, with a long drip-tip. Banyan is usually F. benghalensis. Both are figs. They are different trees.
What is the Tamil name of Ficus religiosa?
Arasamaram.
Sources
- Ficus religiosa L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q3071706 (Ficus religiosa)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.