Usheera Grass

Usheera or Lavancha is known to Indians for at least five thousand years. But this less explored Indian grass went abroad just 25 years ago. Now people from more than 25 countries are teaching us to how to use it for organic farming to Tsunami prevention.

Ramayana stories teach us how twins of Lord Rama were brought up by sages. They were named after two living beings of Nature.  The word Lava literally means a type of small bird. Kusha is a grass type. Even today an aromatic rooted grass Vetiver, having a shape of Darbha grass is called as Khus grass in Hindi. The original word derives from it’s Sanskrit root Kusha. The Hindi word Khus means joy and happiness. Thus the aromatic root of Vetiver is considered to be not only useful in Vedic rituals but also as grass to bring happiness. As a matter of fact this grass has number of functions to conserve our nature. It is a life saving drug. It is a panacea for all problems of Environment and farming.

A grass which can have its aerial blade growth up to two meters can have its root as deep as 10 meters! People often call it as living nail. This is a fact without any exaggeration. Imagine a height of one coconut tree under the ground. This is the depth of matted grass reach underneath the ground! Thus the soil binding and water harvest capacity of your land is facilitated by planting Vetiver in your village or farming land.  Even bulldozers can not uproot its strong deep root systems. So this can definitely work as a “living nail” particularly in sea coasts not only to prevent Sea erosion in Monsoon months, but also dreaded Psunami currents! Many experiments with the cultivation of Vetiver  to prevent land slides has also yielded. It keeps soil intact. Cement uses reduce greatly.

Other uses of Vetiver plant is hereunder:

• The well grown plants yield lot of herbage in the form of leaves. This is very good material for mulching.
• The tender leaf is a wonderful grass. It can be used as a very good fodder for livestock. It enriches quantity and quality of milk.
• The grass blade is used for thatching roof at villages. Such friendly sheds and houses are very useful to prevent cement use in excess.
• The grass blade is a good source of raw material for handicrafts. It can also be used for making hand made paper. Thus it is good resource for rural employment generation.
• The root systems are very powerful to rejuvenate soil. It can improve soil fertility. It can also convert fallow lands in to fertile in course of time.
• Vetiver grass can be grown in contaminated water. It can definitely work as a natural water purifier. So heavy metals of water can be purified using Vetiver. This is good in case of industrial sewage water flows in to fertile land.
• Aromatic oil distilled from root is very expensive. It has good market potentials.
• Roots are considered as a very good medicine in Ayurveda. It is used in Human and livestock medicine. Hyperacidity, piles, Bleeding disorders, Skin diseases, any problem with urinary tract is cured by employing various medicines containing Vetiver root.
• Senegal farmers are finding very good yield, increased out put in many horticultural crops which are mixed with cultivation of Vetiver grass. Mr. Tony Cisse, a farmer says that the fruit trees are to be covered with this grass in the ground. This facilitates increased absorption of nutrients. It also helps for optimal water conservation.
• Vettiver can sustain any hostile climate or situation. It can be grown in rain shadowed area also in view of making land fertile. Even mine dump can facilitate the growth of this soil. Thus the mined soil can be converted as useful soil gradually. Water clogged area, seacoast can also be ideal. Even if fire destroys the areal part, roots can generate shoot system.
• Diluted Vetiver root oil is working as a very good pesticide. It can be employed to prevent many plant pathogens. It is also good termite repellent.  Leaf concoction is also mild fungicidal. Roots can also be used to prevent microorganisms. It can be used in the form of fumigation.
• Leaf of this grass is very good raw material for vermi compost.

Aditi Organic Certifications Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore – Dr. Sathyanarayana Bhat & Mr. Narayana Upadhyaya

The picture of the happy cow grazing on the meadow, the calf frisking around, the bulls walking majestically on the village lanes and streets, the bonding between the farmer and the oxen , these scenes cooled one’s eyes and warmed one’s heart.  Then there was meaning and poetry in life.

Cow was so inter wined into the fabric of life. It gave us food ; it took us from place to place; it healed the mind and body; it was a treasure house of wealth. It also assumed the role of a warrior when occasion demanded. All these functions of the cow are relevant even today. But we have forgotten its significance in this age of plastic, when milk means, white sachets at our door steps every morning.

We palm off our responsibility by transporting the cows which have stopped giving milk, the male calves and the old oxen to the slaughter houses. At the time of Independence we had 77 breeds of Indian indigenous cows. But today only 33 of these precious breeds remain and that too varieties like Amrith Mahal, Red Sindhi, Krishna, Vechure, Punganoor are in very small numbers.

The main reason for this state of affairs is the greed of man who wants quick money. He wants to become rich over night. As a result farms have become dumping ground for chemical fertilizers, food has turned toxic, the farmers reel under the burden of loans and seek solution in suicide.

Added to this is the environmental exploitation and ecological imbalance. We have to live in a world of polluted air, water, land and mind also. Global warming and technological waste are threatening us.

The only ray of hope at this juncture is to return to the ways of our ancestors – The cow centred way of life.

The advent of Vishwa Mangala Gou Grama Yathra strengthens this hope of an auspicious life to our country and the world. It brings the message of joy and prosperity to the villages and the farmer, through the cow.

The guiding spirit behind this great movement is Shree Shree Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swamiji who has dedicated his whole life to the cause of the cow. All the spiritual leaders of the nation have lent support to this socio-economic revival of Bharath. All cow lovers have come under the banner of this movement.

The Yathra commences on September 30, 2009 on Vijayadashimi day at the battle field of Kurukshetra which marks the beginning of righteous war.

The Yathra will cover a distance of 20,000 kms all over India. It will traverse through Amrithsar, Jammu, Muradabad, Kashi, Siliguri, Kolkatta, Vishakhapattanam, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Tiruvanantapuram, Bengaluru, Panjim, Mumbai, Rajkot, Jaipur and conclude at Nagpur.

In addition, 15,000 Upa Yathras will cover a distance of 10 Lakh kms. When the Yathra reaches your place let us strengthen the resolve to begin a beautiful life once again.

Let us make this a true freedom movement. We once missed the opportunity to realize the dream of a free India, in spite of Gandhiji’s vision  of Grama Rajya. The thirst for true freedom has increased today.

We are taking a new and different path to achieve this goal of a free Bharath.

It will bring us prosperity. To revive the cow centred villages, and to reap the benefit of panchagavya, we must not consider cow as just a milking machine.

When we go back to the cow, the land will become free of chemicals, the food will be free of poison, gobar gas will light the villages and puts the farmer and the village on the path of sustainable development. This is true freedom.

This 108 days spiritual journey to the cow and the village is a meaningful return to prosperity and progress. Let us take a pledge to be a part of this pilgrimage and discover the true meaning of freedom and happiness.

Vande Gou Matharam.