The Garden
The garden has been established in the retreat grounds of The Bodhicharya Meditation Centre, Sarjong, Rumtek, Sikkim.
It was initiated in March last year 2009 when the first trial seed plots of medicinal plants were begun. The garden was previously an old rice paddy field, but had not been cultivated for many years and thus the soil was neglected and poor. While germination was very good the seedlings did not survive the hailstorms and later transplanting.
Throughout 2009 the emphasis was on improving soil quality and building compost heaps to fertilise and condition the soil. Also shelter for young plants and seedlings was made with the addition of a greenhouse area too. New water tanks were installed for the irrigation system.
Although the project is aimed at local employment and sustainability it will also be necessary to avail of other expertise as these plants have never been cultivated before in Sikkim. We hope to work in collaboration with botanical experts in the field of medicinal plant cultivation.
This new branch of conservation of medicinal plants for the tibetan herbal compounds is innovative and far reaching. The aim is to provide the local Amchi (Dr. Tashi Namgyal) with raw material to make his medicinal powders that he has been making for many years now. In previous times many of the herbs he needed would be brought to him by his patients who lived high up in the mountains. However now there is a shortage and also many restrictions have been put in place by the Forest department. Medicine making is becoming more difficult and expensive as the herbs are harder to source.
The Sowa Rigpa Garden has two full time gardeners at the moment and is cultivating vegetables to improve soil conditions, while in the meantime we try and source seeds and planting material that is genuine genetically true stock.
The herbs proposed to grow are within the compound known as Tikta Gyepa or Tikta 8. A wonderful formula that seems to help such a broad spectrum of disease, especially liver complaints and fevers, both contagious and ordinary, headaches and even allergies.
The first trials were of Saussaurea costus, Swertia Chirata, and Inula Racemosa. In tibetan, Ruta, Tikta and Manu respectively. The further ingredients of Tikta Gyepa are Aconitum Heterophylum, pong kar Asparagus Filicinus, nye shing, piccrorhiza kurroa, hoong len chok, herpetospernum caudigerum, sergyi metok.
Not so long ago swertia chirata, tikta was found growing in profusion even within the Gangtok area, alas it has now disappeared due to building and population expansion.
It is our wish and aspiration that these activities of The Sowa Rigpa Institute of Sikkim will in the future benefit many people throughout the world.
