With the Ganesh festival around the corner, the interest in all the rituals around Shree Ganesh also rises. Shreeguru Dr. Balaji Tambe has explained the scientific meaning behind our Indian traditions and festivals. For this upcoming festival, we take a look at the durva grass, also called Bermuda grass. It is considered very important among the 21 offerings to Shree Ganesh and is also extremely good for our health at this time. Durva has a cooling and pacifying effect, is supposed to be able to keep a person young and also protects from infections. Let us see how.
An interesting fact about Durva (or Doob in Hindi) is that even when there are scarce rains, or in times of drought or famine, even when the summer heat is too strong, all vegetation and grass on the earth dries up, and there remains no fodder for cattle, the roots of the Durva grass remain alive and fresh, offering relief and fodder that help sustain both animals and man. These qualities of the herb, that keep it alive in a drought have been studied by Ayurveda and they help to keep the body’s cells young and rejuvenated.
It is a very fine, soft and delicate grass and lawns made up of Durva are common in India. In fact, walking barefoot on Durva grass lawns during the day time, especially in the mornings, is a very refreshing therapy that has been strongly advocated by Shreeguruji.
Here are some well-known benefits/therapies with Durva prescribed by Ayurveda.
- It pacifies the pitta dosha, purifies the blood and removes excess heat from the body.
- Ayurveda texts say that Durva grass keeps the ‘bho-baadhaa’ (infections) at bay.
- For those who suffer from frequent nose bleeds due to heat, put two drops of Durva juice in each nostril before sleep. This is cooling and also promotes good sleep.
- In cases of excess heat and pitta if the brain is heated up due to work or emotional stress, a sherbet with 2 tsp juice of Bermuda grass, stone sugar powder and water gives instant relief.
- With the increasing use of cell phones and laptops, the cooling and healing qualities of the Bermuda grass become very important in present times. These have been confirmed by modern research.
- Since it helps to remove impurities from the blood, Durva grass is very useful remedy for various skin infections.
- In Ayurveda, due to its amazing health benefits, Durva is on a list of special herbs that can benefit humans even when we are simply in the vicinity of this healing grass.
- It is included in the important herbs for Santulan Garbhasanskar – the Ayurvedic art of pregnancy and child care, where the aspiring mother-to-be is advised to walk and sit in the company of this Bermuda grass.
So you can use Durva in the ritual to offer Shree Ganesh, walk on a Durva lawn, extract the juice for various health purposes or simply for a refreshing drink or benefit from Ayurvedic medicines made using Durva. This simple grass can be grown around you easily and even its presence can control heat and enhance the atmosphere around you.