noun
hemp stalk; hemp reed
Refers to the dried stalk of the hemp plant, often used in traditional crafts or as a material.
お盆には、おがらを焚いてご先祖様をお迎えします。
During Obon, we burn hemp stalks to welcome our ancestors.
麻 (あさ) refers to the hemp plant itself or its fiber, while 麻幹 (おがら) specifically means the dried stalk.
Compound of 麻 (o, 'hemp') + 殻 (kara, 'husk, shell'), with rendaku voicing to gara. The kanji 麻幹 is a jukujikun reading.