Arhar is the most common pulse eaten all over India. The cultivation of Arhar goes back at least 3000 years. The centre of origin is most likely Asia, from where it travelled to East Africa and by means of the slave trade to the American continent. The Arhar plant is an erect annual or short-lived perennial reaching a height of 3-10 feet. Because the coarse bush is deeply rooted, it has wide adaptability and grows well on semiarid land. It has slender, pointed trifoliate leaves and yellow or yellow and red flowers. Pods are similar to English peas, green and pointed with a bit of reddish mottling. Several pods are produced in clusters on an upright stem.