▁Occ as ions ▁include ▁gre eting ▁el ders ▁at ▁wed ding ▁cer emon ies , ▁celebr ating ▁the ▁New ▁Year , ▁and ▁offering ▁payment ▁to ▁Ay ur ved ic ▁phys icians ▁and ▁ast ro log ers ▁( to ▁whom ▁money ▁and / or ▁are ca ▁nut , ▁placed ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁she af ▁of ▁leaves , ▁are ▁offered ▁in ▁thanks ▁for ▁bless ings ). ▁ ▁The ▁bet el ▁plant ▁is ▁an ▁ever green ▁per enn ial , ▁with ▁gl oss y ▁heart - sh aped ▁leaves ▁and ▁white ▁cat kin . ▁The ▁bet el ▁plant ▁origin ated ▁in ▁South ▁and ▁South ▁East ▁Asia . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁Bet el , ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁( T amil / Mal ay al am ) ▁word ▁v et til a , ▁via ▁Portuguese . ▁ ▁Cult iv ation ▁ ▁The ▁bet el ▁leaf ▁is ▁cultiv ated ▁mostly ▁in ▁South ▁and ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁from ▁Pakistan ▁to ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea . ▁It ▁needs ▁a ▁compatible ▁tree ▁or ▁a ▁long ▁pole ▁for ▁support . ▁Bet el ▁requires ▁well - dra ined ▁fert ile ▁soil . ▁Water log ged , ▁sal ine ▁and ▁alk ali ▁so ils ▁are ▁un su itable ▁for ▁its ▁cultiv ation . ▁ ▁In ▁Bang l adesh , ▁far mers ▁called ▁bar ui ▁prepare ▁a ▁garden ▁called ▁a ▁bar ou j ▁in ▁which ▁to ▁grow ▁bet el . ▁ ▁The ▁bar ou j ▁is ▁f enced ▁with ▁b am bo o ▁st icks ▁and ▁co con ut ▁leaves . ▁The