General information

Call No.:

437-1-20:3/1

Part of series

HU OSA 437-1-20 Digital Archive of Cultural Heritage: Intangible Cultural Heritage: Oral Tradition of Zanskar

Located at

Digital container #3 / No. 1

Date

2018

Level

Item

Primary Type

Audio

Language

Ladakhi

Duration

36 min. 12 sec.

Notes

This item is available in the Digital Repository.

Content

Form/Genre

Interview, Raw material

Contents Summary

Amchi Phuntsog Tonyot is an amchi or traditional medicinal healer, as well as a farmer. He is a native of Tsazar, a village in Zanskar valley.
In the interview he explains how he had learnt the art of being an amchi from his father. He talks about the volumes of medicinal texts (six volumes according to him) that an aspiring amchi has to become familiar with before he can start to practice. He himself inherited his volumes from his father, who had brought them from Tibet. He also tells about the changes taking place in the village and how they are influencing the work of amchis, whose importance is fast diminishing with the introduction of Western-style medicine. Another radical innovation is the ‘amchi’s pharmacy’ (men-tse-khang), where amchis like Amchi Tsazar now buy their own medicines, instead of collecting special herbs in the mountainsides and making the medicines themselves.

Context

Associated Names

Tonyot (Amchi), Phuntsog (Interviewee)

Namgail, Stanzin (Donor)

Subject / Coverage

Spatial Coverage

India