Selling Ayurveda to the world

Ayurveda has always stressed on the harmony of the body and mind and is largely concerned with the prevention of ailments. Indians as well as foreigners are aware of the holistic effects and the curative properties of this branch of medicine. The recent appointment of Steffi Graf as the face of the Ayurveda promotion campaign is aimed at promotion of Kerala’s traditional Ayurveda worldwide. This is an initiative undertaken as a part of the tourism department’s ‘Visit Kerala’ scheme and will give a fillip to Ayurveda tourism in the state.

Dr M. Beena, Secretary (Ayurveda and Homeopathy) speaks about zeroing in on Steffi to spearhead the initiative. “This is an initiative of the tourism department and the officials concerned wanted someone with a global presence. Incidentally, Steffi has undergone Ayurveda treatment and since sports ayurveda is an emerging sub-sector, she seems to be the right person to promote this branch of medicine.” Speaking further she says, “Most people are aware of the healing properties of Ayurveda which has reached a global platform but what we are doing, joining hands with the tourism department, is to see that when tourists come to Kerala they are directed to authentic and quality-conscious Ayurveda centres. We have resorts which are good and some which are not so good and we are trying to implement quality standards. We have prepared a draft of standards and these will be discussed further at a joint meeting soon. Thanks to the yoga day initiative, we are also planning to have yoga in the mornings under a doctor’s supervision at every Ayurveda dispensary in the state.”

There are several herbal formulations which are unique to Kerala and which have been included in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India. Another USP of Kerala’s Ayurveda is that the stress is more on the herbal components than on minerals or metals. Abhilash K. Ramesh, Group director of Kairali Ayurvedic Group, mentions that 65% of the tourists are foreigners who come for a monthly or bi–monthly treatment package with yoga as well as meditation included in the packages. “It is mostly individuals who are fed up of the allopathic treatments who come here and they are treated using a combination of yoga, Ayurveda and proper diet to create a balance in the body.” Panchakarma and weight loss programmes are the most sought-after with individuals also coming in for relaxation and rejuvenation for a whole host of diseases. Celebrities like Neha Dhupia, Nandita Das, Sharad Pawar, Pramod Mahajan among others have availed the treatments here. Abhilash adds, “When a celebrity like Steffi, who is also into fitness, advocates Ayurveda, it will surely give a fillip to the stream.”

Dr Prasanth Raghavan of Ayush Prana which specialises in treatment of Multiple Sclerosis says that most of his patients are from Germany, where the awareness is very high which is why German-born Steffi seems like the perfect choice. Prasanth says, “More than the cosmetic benefits, the medical benefits need to be highlighted. I had been practicing in Germany and I know that there is a big demand for Ayurveda’s curative properties for many chronic and neurological diseases, especially MS.” He has artists from Europe as well as business travellers and models as his celebrity patients.

Hari N. Namboothiri, Managing Director, Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Medicines(P)Ltd states, “Today we have scientific studies and proofs to back the curative claims of ayurveda. As important as it is to prevent diseases, it is also important to cure diseases which is where the effectiveness to ‘cure from the root’ aspect of Ayurveda comes in. The Government has understood the value of Ayurveda and actively formed an Ayush Department for Ayurveda.” Opining that it is the foreigners who understand the benefits of Ayurveda, he adds that most patients come here as the last hope since modern medicine has limitations as far as ophthalmology treatments are concerned, but Ayurveda has very beneficial and proven treatments.

Dr Ajay Ghosh, Deputy Medical Officer of Santhigiri Ayurveda says, “I wish the Government looks at bettering the infrastructure and also looks at promoting authorised centres as patients come with a lot of expectations and awareness of the theories and treatments.”