A new study has identified 39 plants used by the Sonowal Kachari community to treat ailments ranging from fever and cough to kidney stones and skin diseases.
About Sonowal Kacharis:
They are an indigenous people who live in northeast India.
The vast majority of the Sonwal live in Assam. They are the third-largest plain tribe in Assam and one of the oldest tribes of Assam.
Smaller groups live in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe (Plains) in Assam.
They are of Mongoloid origin, and linguistically, the Sonowal Kachari people belong to the Tibetan language family.
The name ‘’Sonowal’’ comes from the word for gold. The traditional occupation of the Sonwal was panning for gold during the Ahom kingdom.
Today the Sonowal are primarily engaged in agriculture. They grow rice, betel nut, sweet potatoes, and cotton.
The Sonowal are believed to have a very rich traditional knowledge of indigenous medicine.
The primary language of the Sonowal is Assamese. Many also speak Hindi so they can communicate with outsiders.
Religion:
The Sonowal practices Hinduism strongly influenced by folk religion.
They have their own village shrines and generally do not visit Hindu temples.
Sonowal considers Shiva, the destroyer god, to be their primary deity.
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