India’s highest herbal garden set up in Phobrang village of Leh

At an altitude of 15,000 feet above sea level, India's highest herbal garden has been set up in Phobrang village in Leh, Ladakh. Earlier, the herbal garden located at Badrinath, Uttarakhand held the record of being the highest herbal garden in India. The garden located in the middle of the barren mountains of the Leh region has become a site to visit.

The initiative of setting up the herbal garden in the region was taken byreligious and spiritual leader,founder and chairman of "Go Green Go Organic"Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche. He runs the organisation mostly working on the environmental and biodiversity conservation of mass plantations in Ladakh and other Himalayan regions.

The garden is a collaboration between the 'Go green go Organic' and the local authorities of the region. The major support for the garden was given by the Councillor of the Chushul constituency, Konchok Stanzin, who is also the chairman of the High-Altitude Herbal Garden. The authorities believe that the herbal garden will help in the well-being of the environment, ecology, biodiversity and mankind.

“It also aims to conserve rare species and maintain the flora and ecological significance. The saplings and seeds of medicinal plants have been sown. The medicinal plants are of high importance for the Buddhists. These medicinal plants are used for different treatments in Ladakh and Tibet. These rare medical plants are only grown in higher altitudes. A specific group of plants, like herbs or medicinal plants, have been planted. Apart from medicinal uses, these plants also hold great cultural and religious importance,” said Dr Konchok Dorjey, the vice chairman of the herbal garden, who is also an expert on medicinal plants in the region.

The authorities in the Leh region are proud that India's Highest herbal garden now is in the Ladakh region. They are hoping to create an advanced research centre at the location, too. Experts say that the garden will have a lot of purpose for future projects in the region.

''These planted saplings and seeds are taken care of by the people of the closest village and the aim is to be used for research purposes. This garden has taken over the herbal garden located at Badrinath Uttarakhand at an altitude of 11,000 feet, thus becoming India's highest-located herbal garden. The medicinal plants are perennial plants. These plants can even survive minus 30 cold conditions. The maximum temperature they require is 20 to 25 degrees Celsius,"said Dr Konchok Dorjey, the vice chairman of the herbal garden, who is also an expert on medicinal plants in the region.

This project could be a game changer for the coldest place in India, as the region hardly sees any plantations due to the subzero temperatures.

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