Sonowal Kacharis:
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.
- 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.
- 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.
