kusa

grass

Also known as: Eragrostis cynosuroides, darbha, kusha

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "kusa" refers to a specific type of grass, Eragrostis cynosuroides, native to India. This grass holds cultural significance in Hinduism, where it is used in religious ceremonies and is also known as darbha.1

More broadly, grasses belong to the family Poaceae, which is one of the most important plant families globally, particularly as a source of food. Grasses are found on every continent and in diverse habitats, from deserts to freshwater environments, and they dominate approximately 24 percent of the Earth's vegetation.2

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2 Britannica Sources

Poaceae
kusa

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ceremonial object
Plants and plant representations
…sacred plants, such as the kusha plant (a sacred grass used as fodder) of the Vedic sacrifice and the Brahmanic puja (ritual), are used in rituals such as the Zoroastrian sprinkling (bareshnum), or great purification, rite, in which the notion of fertility and prosperity is combined with their sacred characters…
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…sacred plants, such as the kusha plant (a sacred grass used as fodder) of the Vedic sacrifice and the Brahmanic puja (ritual), are used in rituals such as the Zoroastrian sprinkling (bareshnum), or great purification, rite, in which the notion of fertility and prosperity is combined with their sacred characters…
Read More