Continuous efforts underway for the upliftment of traditional healers under the guidance of Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap.
Over 2,700 traditional healers (Vaidyas) participated in state, division, and district-level conventions, learning modern and scientific methods.
Healers received financial support for backyard ‘Healer Herbal Gardens’ and 40 free pulverizer machines for grinding herbs.
Raipur, June 9, 2026
To preserve Chhattisgarh’s rich tribal and local health traditions and pass this invaluable knowledge to future generations, the Chhattisgarh Tribal, Local Health Traditions and Medicinal Plant Board (under the Forest Department) is taking concrete steps. Guided by Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) & Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Shri Arun Kumar Pandey, the Board is continuously working toward the conservation, promotion, and capacity-building of traditional healers.
In this sequence, the Board organized 11 grand Vaidya (traditional healer) conventions across the state during the financial year 2025-26. This included 1 state-level, 6 division-level, and 4 district-level conventions.
Gathering and Modern Training of Over 2,700 Healers
Around 1,100 healers from across the state participated in the state-level convention held on October 8, 2025. Furthermore, a total of 1,600 healers actively participated in the divisional and district-level conventions combined.
During these events, traditional healers were connected with modern science. They were taught the scientific and botanical names of medicinal plants. A key focus of the training was the “Non-Destructive Harvesting Technique,” which teaches healers how to collect herbs without killing the host plant, ensuring its survival for future use. Additionally, the healers learned modern methods for preparing herbal medicines and shared their traditional knowledge with one another.
Innovations: ‘Healer Herbal Gardens’ and ‘School Herbal Gardens’
To make the healers self-reliant, the Board has been running a unique ‘Healer Herbal Garden Scheme’ for the past two years. Under this initiative, the Board provides financial and technical assistance to healers so they can develop small gardens of commonly used medicinal plants in their own backyards.
Furthermore, to raise awareness among the younger generation, ‘School Herbal Gardens’ are being established in the schools located in the healers’ villages. The schools are responsible for maintaining these gardens, with the Board providing full support.
Economic Empowerment: 40 Free Pulverizer Machines Distributed
Considering the economic conditions of Chhattisgarh’s traditional healers, preparing high-quality herbal medicines used to be a major challenge. To address this, the Board—with the cooperation of the Forest Minister and department heads—has provided 40 pulverizer (herb-grinding) machines entirely free of cost to groups of healers across 28 districts over the past two years.
Each machine has been distributed for the collective use of groups comprising 8 to 10 healers. Currently, the healers are using these machines free of charge to easily manufacture exceptionally high-quality medicines.
This initiative by the Forest Department is not only preserving Chhattisgarh’s ancient medical system but has also paved a new path for the economic empowerment of traditional healers living in forest regions.
