Barbara Nath-Wiser

Who is Barbara Nath-Wiser?

Barbara Nath-Wiser is an Austrian doctor. She studied Medicine in Vienna and emigrated to India in 1978. She founded the NISHTA centre for the people of the Kangra Valley. Nishta is situated in Sidhbari, the hometown of her former husband Krishan Nath Baba, near Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. This rural health, education and environment centre provides alternative medicine such as homeopathy, acupuncture or Ayurveda, but also traditional treatments.

In 1986 her husband died. Barbara Nath-Wiser decided to stay in India in order to continue her project. In 2004 she received the Two Wings Award; she was also named among the "1000 PeaceWomen across the Globe" in 2005.

Since 2003 Nistha is an official partner institution of the Austrian Social Service and hosts volunteers from the Austrian Service Abroad who work at Nishtha for 12 months.