Halfa grass

Desmostachya bipinnata is kusha or darbha grass, the sacred grass of Vedic ritual. Priests twist it into rings worn during rites, spread it as seats and mats, and place it in ceremonies, and the Bhagavad Gita speaks of a seat of kusha grass for meditation. It is also a tough, deep-rooted grass of dry and saline soils that farmers know as a stubborn weed.

Botanical name

Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf

Family

Poaceae

Tamil

Darbai

Hindi

Kush

Parts used

Living culm (ritual mat)

Habit

Ritual stiff grass; arugampul is Cynodon

Last updated

2026-10-25

How to recognise Halfa grass

It is a coarse perennial grass growing in tufts from long, deep, scaly rhizomes.

The leaves are long, stiff and narrow, with sharp, rough edges that can cut skin.

Flowering stems carry long, narrow spikes made of many short, stiff, closely packed spikelets arranged in two rows, which gives a bristly look.

Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon (arugampul or durva), is a fine, creeping lawn grass used in Ganesha worship.

Traditional use of Halfa grass

Vedic ritual

Darbha is used to make the pavitram ring, as a seat in rituals, in funeral and ancestral rites, and to cover vessels during eclipses.

Vedic and Hindu ritual practice

Village use

The stiff leaves are woven into mats, ropes and brooms.

Indian village practice

Modern notes on Halfa grass

Agronomists study it as a weed of saline and alkaline soils and as a candidate for reclaiming such land, because of its salt tolerance.

Laboratory studies of extracts exist, but there are no clinical uses.

Halfa grass safety

Handle it with care; the leaf edges are sharp.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows across North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, on dry, saline or disturbed soils.

It flowers in the hot season and after the rains, and spreads mainly by its rhizomes rather than by seed.

Its deep rhizomes bind soil but make it very hard to remove from fields.

Related plants

Also in Poaceae

Questions about Halfa grass

Is Halfa grass durva?

No. Durva is Cynodon dactylon, a fine creeping grass.

What older names does Desmostachya bipinnata go by?

Eragrostis cynosuroides.

Why is Halfa grass sacred?

It has been central to Vedic ritual for millennia.

Where does Halfa grass grow?

On dry, saline or disturbed land across the plains of India.

Sources

• Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
• Wikidata item Q659826 (Desmostachya bipinnata)

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.