Why Darbha grass is used during eclipse?

Hyderabad: Come eclipse, a big debate takes place on do's and don'ts. Rationalists try to prove that the caution recommended by the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures as a myth. Some cook food in the open, eat it and say 'look nothing has happened' to them. Some criticise use of Tulasi leaves and tropical grass as purifiers.

On the other hand, Vedic scholars say that whatever cautions these Hindu scriptures have mentioned are scientific. Since the language (Sanskrit) is not easily understood by the common man, they are narrated as small grandma-type stories.

Researchers found that during the eclipse, negative radiation of abnormal magnitude is dispersed. Hence, pregnant women are asked not to go out of the house. The temples are closed because during the eclipse, the clockwise motion of divine energy would be disturbed. Shutting the doors would prevent any impact of negativity released by the planetary bodies.

Tulasi leaves are used to cover the idols from the abnormal negativity that originates from the grahan process as they absorb harmful radiation.

Darbha (Desmotachya bipinnata), a tropical grass, is put on pickles and other food materials which could ferment. It is not blind faith. A systematic study was conducted by the SASTRA University researchers in 2015. During the research, cow curd was chosen as a food item that could ferment easily.

Five other tropical grass species, including lemon grass, Bermuda grass, and bamboo were chosen for comparison based on different levels of antibiotic properties and hydrophobicity.

According to the study, electron microscopy of different grasses revealed stunning nano-patterns and hierarchical nano or microstructures in Darbha grass while they were absent in other grasses.

On studying the effect of various grasses on the microbial community of the curd, Darbha grass alone was found to attract enormous number of bacteria into the hierarchical surface features. These are the bacteria responsible for fermentation of cow curd.

The study said that during the eclipse the intensity and wavelength of the light radiation is altered. Blue and ultraviolet radiations which have disinfecting property are not available in sufficient quantities during the eclipse. As a result, there would be uncontrolled growth of micro-organisms in food products which could be harmful for consumption. Hence Darbha is used as natural food preservative in place of harmful chemical preservatives.