In a collaborative effort to unite traditional medicine with environmental restoration, the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, and the 132 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) ECO RAJPUT have launched an Ashwagandha plantation and research initiative at the Terriers Herbal Garden in Bhatti Mines, South Delhi.

Launched on September 24 under the leadership of AIIA Director Prof. (Vaidya) Pradeep Kumar Prajapati and Commanding Officer Colonel Mohan Singh, the initiative will plant and scientifically monitor 10,000 saplings of Withania somnifera, commonly known as Ashwagandha.

The initiative also carries environmental significance, as Bhatti Mines lies within Delhi’s Southern Ridge and the broader Aravalli landscape. The ECO RAJPUT battalion is involved in plantation and restoration work in areas affected by mining and ecological degradation.

The project aims to generate research-based insights into how the medicinal plant grows and adapts to the climatic and environmental conditions. Regular observation and documentation will help researchers connect Ayurveda’s traditional knowledge with scientific evidence while exploring the role of medicinal plants in biodiversity conservation.

Prof. Prajapati said the collaboration reflects an effort to extend Ayurveda beyond clinical practice by strengthening its relationship with nature, sustainability and ecological restoration. He emphasised that the systematic cultivation and scientific documentation of medicinal plants could contribute to both knowledge generation and conservation.

The Terriers Herbal Garden already conserves around 200 species of medicinal and Ayurvedic importance, including Parijata, Amla and Aloe Vera. AIIA will provide technical guidance for the garden’s scientific management and maintenance.

The project brings together Ayurvedic researchers, doctoral scholars and military personnel, coordinated by Major Jai Singh Shekhawat and Major (Dr.) Ashish Kumar.

By combining medicinal-plant research with landscape restoration, the initiative seeks to demonstrate how traditional knowledge can support contemporary conservation efforts. Its guiding message—Roots in Ayurveda – Conserve Biodiversity – Restore Ecosystems—captures the ambition to nurture both medicinal heritage and the fragile Aravalli ecosystem.

Reference: Press Information Bureau