<p>With forests rapidly dwindling, finding herbs to make Ayurveda medicines is a huge challenge, despite government attempts to revive the science under make in India. <br /><br /></p>.<p>However, a group of tribal Ayurvedic practitioners in remote Kanchanpur subdivision of Tripura are endeavouring to revive the dying practice by establishing herbal gardens, thereby setting an example for others across the country. <br /><br />“We are traditional Ayurvedic healers, where knowledge has been passed on by generations,” Traditional healer Sakhya Tripura told Deccan Herald over phone.<br /><br />“But demand is waning among the tribal society. Now we hear that the Centre wants to revive tribal Ayurveda in northeast, but deforestation has caused considerable damage to the effort. Many herbs are extinct, hindering the revival process,” he added. <br /><br />Not wanting to give up, 55 tribal medics from the Kanchanchanpur sub-division in north Tripura district joined forces to form Vaidyaraj Herbal Growers Society (VHGS), to raise ten herbal gardens across north Tripura district. <br /><br />The Vaidyas, as they are traditionally called, are growing herbs once used in traditional Ayurvedic practices. “We are trying to collect traditional herbs from far-flung places,” said Amiya Chowdhury, a practitioner in Kanchanpur who has a garden. “Right now, we have 500 herbal plants to treat a range of ailments from stomachache to flu, fever, broken bones, snake bite, and even acute liver problem.” The gardens are being developed with the help from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with Agartala-based Centre for Forest Based Livelihood and Extension (CFLE) providing technical and financial assistance to the ayurvedic practitioners. Major tribal communities of Tripura – the Tripuris, the Chakmas, the Mogs and the Reangs have their own traditional healing practices.“The society aims at building a knowledge base and a bank of atleast 500 herbs,” said veteran Vaidyaraj PunyamaniChakma.<br /> <br /></p>
<p>With forests rapidly dwindling, finding herbs to make Ayurveda medicines is a huge challenge, despite government attempts to revive the science under make in India. <br /><br /></p>.<p>However, a group of tribal Ayurvedic practitioners in remote Kanchanpur subdivision of Tripura are endeavouring to revive the dying practice by establishing herbal gardens, thereby setting an example for others across the country. <br /><br />“We are traditional Ayurvedic healers, where knowledge has been passed on by generations,” Traditional healer Sakhya Tripura told Deccan Herald over phone.<br /><br />“But demand is waning among the tribal society. Now we hear that the Centre wants to revive tribal Ayurveda in northeast, but deforestation has caused considerable damage to the effort. Many herbs are extinct, hindering the revival process,” he added. <br /><br />Not wanting to give up, 55 tribal medics from the Kanchanchanpur sub-division in north Tripura district joined forces to form Vaidyaraj Herbal Growers Society (VHGS), to raise ten herbal gardens across north Tripura district. <br /><br />The Vaidyas, as they are traditionally called, are growing herbs once used in traditional Ayurvedic practices. “We are trying to collect traditional herbs from far-flung places,” said Amiya Chowdhury, a practitioner in Kanchanpur who has a garden. “Right now, we have 500 herbal plants to treat a range of ailments from stomachache to flu, fever, broken bones, snake bite, and even acute liver problem.” The gardens are being developed with the help from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with Agartala-based Centre for Forest Based Livelihood and Extension (CFLE) providing technical and financial assistance to the ayurvedic practitioners. Major tribal communities of Tripura – the Tripuris, the Chakmas, the Mogs and the Reangs have their own traditional healing practices.“The society aims at building a knowledge base and a bank of atleast 500 herbs,” said veteran Vaidyaraj PunyamaniChakma.<br /> <br /></p>
