CIBS Leh takes 34 Sowa-Rigpa Students on field tour to medicinal plant habitats in Zanskar, Kargil

LEH: Thirty-four Sowa-Rigpa students of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh, undertook an eight-day exposure tour to the hilly and high-altitude areas of Zanskar and Kargil districts to gain practical knowledge of medicinal plants and their traditional applications in Sowa-Rigpa medicine.

The tour, conducted from August 13 to 20, 2026, took the students to medicinal plant habitats across different geographical and ecological zones, allowing them to study plants in their natural surroundings and relate classroom learning to field observations.

The tour was conducted under the guidance and supervision of Dr Thinles Yangjor, Dr Stanzin Chosrab, Dr Padma Rigzen and Dr Konchok Thinles.

In Zanskar, the students visited areas including Rangdum, Abran, Raru-Muney and Shingkula, while in Kargil district they visited Panikhar, Sankoo and Khasra. The students were taken into surrounding hilly and natural habitats to observe medicinal plants in their actual growing environments.

During the field visits, students received hands-on exposure to the identification of medicinal plants, their morphological characteristics and natural habitats. Doctors and practitioners accompanying the group explained the distinguishing features of different plants and their relevance to Sowa-Rigpa practice.

The field study also focused on the environmental factors that influence medicinal plant resources. Students observed how altitude, climate, soil, terrain and seasonal conditions affect the growth, distribution and availability of different plant species.

The tour further introduced students to the need for responsible collection, preservation and sustainable utilisation of medicinal plant resources, particularly in fragile high-altitude ecosystems.

Exposure to different locations in Kargil and Zanskar also enabled the students to observe variations in medicinal plant resources across geographical and ecological zones. The experience was intended to deepen their understanding of the relationship between the local environment, traditional knowledge and Sowa-Rigpa pharmacology.

The institute said the exposure tour provided students with an opportunity to connect their theoretical understanding of Sowa-Rigpa with direct field-based observation and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants found in the hilly and high-altitude areas of Kargil and Zanskar.