This ancient Himalayan therapeutic practice, dating back some 3,000 years, is a synthesis of Tibetan, Chinese and Persian medicine. Its medical tantras record over 84000 diseases, carefully classified under some 1,000 categories and more than 2,000 herbal and mineral compounds. 

After the Chinese invasion of Tibet, the system found its way into India, where it was able to germinate and flourish anew. In 1963, in a little hut in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama founded the first Tibetan Medicine and Astro Institute, TMAI. its phenomenal growth from these humble beginnings reflects the Indian people's increasing faith in its curative powers.

Today, there are 32 TMAI branches spread around the country. The permanent Tibetan clinic set up in Delhi in 1985, is now visited by over 300 patients a day. Diagnostic methods of this system include mucus, phlegm saliva and urine tests and the unique six-finger pulse readings. 

Remedies include oral tablets prepared from indigenous herbs, fruits, flowers, mineral and metallic powders, as well as acupressure, massage and fomentation.

Healers and patients alike have faith in the system's ability to cure not only common and chronic disorders, but also to induce fertility and remission in advanced stages of cancer.

However, very little has been done for R&D in this field-an input that would not only validate its claims, but perhaps also provide some hope for those afflicted with AIDS, Alzenheimer's and other so far incurable diseases.

Entry

Work in this field is highly structured, with little or no scope for private practice. Those wishing to take up Tibetan medicine must undergo seven years of training before joining one of the several Tibetan Astro institutes in the country, with affiliations to the headquarters at Dharamsala.