Three-Day Sowa-Rigpa Workshop on Traditional Medicine and Medicinal Plants Opens in Tawang

The National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR), Leh — an autonomous institute under the Union AYUSH Ministry — in collaboration with NGO The Tawang Foundation, has organised a three-day workshop titled "Sowa-Rigpa Medical Heritage and Medicinal Plants of Arunachal Pradesh" in Tawang from March 13 to 15.

Dr Tsering Thakchoe Drungtso, Professor at NISR, delivered the keynote address, followed by remarks from Tawang Deputy Commissioner Namgyal Angmo and Tawang Zila Parishad Chairperson Leki Gombu.

Also Read: Camouflage Uniforms and Live Ammunition Found at Williamnagar Mosque, Police Officer Booked

Speakers highlighted the importance of traditional medicine in public health and emphasised the vital role of medicinal plants in the Sowa-Rigpa system as practiced in Tawang and across the broader Himalayan region.

DC Namgyal Angmo assured the gathering of full district administration support for the promotion and development of the Sowa-Rigpa system in the region. She also encouraged students and practitioners to pursue further research and study of the traditional medical system within a modern context.

Advocate Maling Gombu thanked NISR Director Dr Padma Gurmet for organising the workshop in Tawang and reaffirmed his commitment to preserving and promoting Sowa-Rigpa in Arunachal Pradesh and other northeastern states. He also appreciated NISR for establishing a Sowa-Rigpa Health Care Clinic in the region and expressed hope for continued future collaboration in Tawang district.

The three-day workshop is expected to attract more than 100 participants, including residents from Lungla, Tawang, and nearby villages, monks and nuns from local monasteries, students, and Sowa-Rigpa practitioners and doctors. Technical sessions are covering various aspects of the Sowa-Rigpa medical heritage and the medicinal plants of Arunachal Pradesh.