Kans welcoming Autumn (Photo Feature)

Kathmandu: The blooming of Kans Grass indicates the farewell of the rainy season and the arrival of the autumn season.

The scientific name of the grass is Saccharum spontaneum. This is a special kind of wild grass, which grows in open spaces and river banks of Terai and hilly regions. The grass grows during the September-October (Asoj-Kartik).

The grass provides seeds as food to birds, shelter, and even for nesting habitat for waterbirds. The birds help in the seed dispersal, pest management, and pollination of the grass. This shows the interdependency of the organisms to balance the ecosystem.

Kans grows during the festive season. Hence also known as the flower, which welcomes the festivals.

Apart from the aesthetic beauty, the grass also has an important contribution to writing culture. It was used as a pen to write on paper during the primitive time in India.

The grass is also treated as a medicinal herb in Ayurveda. The plant seems to have medicinal properties to cure respiratory, and gynecological complications. It also cures menorrhagia, dyspepsia, and burning urination, and improves the quantity of breast milk in lactating mothers and bleeding piles.

In the present scenario, Kans has whitened the hills of the Kathmandu valley. The open spaces also look attractive with the growth of the Kans.

(Glimpses of Kans growing inside Kathmandu valley)

(Photo Courtesy: Saroj Basnet)

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