Why in the News?
According to a recent report, Government of India has sought recognition of the ancient medicinal tradition ‘Sowa Rigpa’ as its “UNESCO intangible cultural heritage”, a claim contested by China at a global forum. India has approached the UNESCO seeking enlisting of the Sowa Rigpa as its ‘intangible cultural heritage.
It is popular in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal’s Darjeeling, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
What is Sowa Rigpa?
Sowa Rigpa is a centuries-old traditional medical system that employs a complex approach to diagnosis, incorporating techniques such as pulse analysis and urinalysis, and utilizes behaviour and dietary modification, medicines composed of natural materials (e.g., herbs and minerals) and physical therapies to treat illness.
What are four Tantras of Sowa Rigpa?
The Four Tantras (Gyushi, rGyu-bzhi) are native Tibetan texts incorporating Indian, Chinese and Greco-Arab medical systems.
The Four Tantras is the common name for the text of the Secret Tantra Instruction on the Eight Branches, the Immortality Elixir essence.
The four Tantras are: Root Tantra, Exegetical Tantra, Instructional Tantra and Subsequent Tantra. India and China are at loggerheads over the legacy of Sowa-Rigpa, which has similarities with Ayurveda.
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