The Holy Grass known as Dharbham or Dharbai

[Guest guest]

Dear AasthikAs :

 

Here is some additional Information on Dharbham

in response to Sri Neelameggham's questions

on the Botanical name for Dharbam ( ThUppul/ViswAmthram)

and where it grows :

 

Dharbham is also known as Kusa (sharp) . Kusa grass

when it becomes dry is known as Dharbhai .

 

It grows on brackish/salty water near river estuaries .

It is a special kind of tussock grass that commonly

grows in clumps . The dried Kusa grass has one or two or three or

four leaves .Each one has a specific role in Vaidhika and Temple

AarAdhana and other Hindu smaskArAs . Occasional ly you

will seepictures of BuddhA seated on Dharbha grass during

meditation .

 

 

Botanical people cite two different kinds of Kusa Grass :

Poa Cynosuroidas and Agrostis Linearis .

 

PurANAs say that Kusa grass was formed , when the hairs on

the Koormam got loosened during the churning for amrutham

and washed away to the shores of milky ocean to form Kusa Grass

with the sanctity .

 

It grows in almost all states of India and mostly in

river banks . It is colelcted on KrishNa Paksha Prathamai days

by PurOhithAs with a specific manthram .

 

V.Sadagopan

-

"r Neelameggham" <rneelameggham

"neelakrishna2001" <neelakrishna2001;

<>

Wednesday, October 12, 2005 9:57 AM

Re: The Holy Grass known as Dharbham or Dharbai

 

 

> Can we have some information about its botanical name

> and why and where it grows?

>

>

> --- neelakrishna2001 <neelakrishna2001

> wrote:

>

>>

>> namaskaram;

>>

>> some more information about dharbai.

>>

>> pranamams

>>

>> http://www.trsiyengar.com/id65.html