Gangtok, July 6: Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT) organized a mega drive to plant medicinal plants and herbs at Namgyal Sowa-Rigpa Herbal Garden on the auspicious occasion of the 86th Birthday of His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama and also to observe “A Day for Mother Earth” – an initiative of the Government of Sikkim.
His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama has a special relationship with Sikkim in general and the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology in particular. On the request of the Crown Prince PaldenThondup Namgyal (1923-1982), who had envisaged the need for establishing a centre for Buddhist studies and research, His Holiness the Dalai Lama laid the foundation stone of NIT in 1957 while he was on his way back to Tibet, via Sikkim, after attending the 2500th anniversary of the Buddha’s Parinirvana on the invitation of the Government of India.
On 6th July, 2015, on the 80th Birthday of His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, the Government of Sikkim announced the setting-up of Buddhist Studies in Sikkim and NIT was given the responsibility for establishing a Buddhist University at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. As a follow-up action on the State Government’s decision, NIT established the Faculty of Sowa-Rigpa and Master Course in Buddhist & Tibetan Studies, in affiliation with the Sikkim University.
The plantation drive has a three-pronged message of Health, Healing and Harmony: Creating awareness of herbal plant’s health benefits; identifying medicinal plants used in Sowa-Rigpa and living in harmony with mother earth.
NIT planted 1360 saplings of five main species of medicinal plants and herbs used in Sowa-Rigpa medical system – an ancient medicinal science of Tibet – practiced widely in Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia, Ladakh, Sikkim and the Himalayan region of India. The names of the saplings in Tibetan and their corresponding scientific names are Aru (Terminalia Chebula), Baru (Terminalia Bellirica), Kyuru (Phyllanthusemblica), Letae (Tinospora Cordifolia), and Tsampaka (Oroxylum Indicum).
The Medicinal Plant Conservation, (MPCA), Mamring, of the Forest Department, Government of Sikkim graciously donated these saplings for transplantation.
NIT Director, Mr Pema W. Rinzing launched the plantation drive on 6 July 2021 at Namgyal Sorig Herbal Garden on the NIT campus. The drive was carried out by maintaining strict COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.
Herbal Garden is one of the essential parts of the Faculty of Sowa-Rigpa under NIT. Presently NIT identified and planted 100 types of herbal plants in the herbal garden of NIT premise.
The five and half-year bachelor degree course on Sowa-Rigpa is offered in five institutions across India. The Faculty of Sowa-Rigpa, NIT, is the first Institution to get the privileged of being registered under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.
Sikkim is gifted with a bountiful natural herbal plants found in higher altitudes and, therefore, it presents a unique opportunity for the cultivation of medicinal plants as more and more people are adopting a healthy and organic lifestyle which includes an increasing preference for herbal treatment.
Therefore, NIT aims to develop the Herbal Garden for the Faculty of Sowa-Rigpa and to encourage the people of Sikkim, especially farmers, to cultivate medicinal plants for their health and economic betterment. NIT is also on a mission for the conservation of medicinal plants found in higher altitudes, especially used in Sowa-Rigpa.
