People have increasingly turned to ayurvedic medicines during Covid times: Baby Mathew

By Neha Kirpal

With the objective of combining Ayurveda and tourism, the Somatheeram Research Institute & Ayurveda Hospital was founded in 1985, making it the world’s first ever Ayurvedic hospital in a resort ambiance.

The Somatheeram Ayurvedic Hospital and Research Centre offers a range of Ayurveda Panchakarma and Rasayana packages (rejuvenation therapy, body purification, slimming programme, stress management programme, beauty care programme, Ayurveda anti-ageing programme, etc.). All treatments are prescribed by expert Ayurvedic doctors and carried out under proper supervision.

The Somatheeram Ayurveda Group has received the Government of India’s Best Ayurveda Wellness Centre award from the President six times in a row, and it is the only Ayurveda hospital to receive the Hall of Fame award so far. The group has also won the state award for the Best Approved and Classified Ayurveda Centre in Kerala, started by the Tourism and Ayurveda department of Kerala a total of nine times.

Chairman & Managing Director of the Somatheeram Ayurveda group, Baby Mathew has been at the forefront in promoting Ayurveda and tourism nationally as well as internationally. He has played a significant role in improving the popularity of Ayurveda in Europe. The President of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Society, he has also participated in many national and international health therapy and Ayurveda seminars in India and abroad.

In this exclusive interview, he talks to us among other things about Somatheeran’s journey over the past three decades, packages and activities offered by its six properties spread across Kerala, and the benefits of Ayurveda and wellness tourism in a post-Covid world.

Take us briefly through Somatheeram’s journey over the past three decades.
We started this unique concept primarily because we wanted to promote Ayurveda in other countries. During that time, Ayurveda was known only in Kerala and the rest of India. My brother, Pauly Mathew, was living in Germany, so together we both planned to start an Ayurveda Hospital in a resort ambience. The idea was to provide facilities to the patients, so that they can stay in a resort ambience close to nature with good air.

Since Ayurveda was unknown in the west at that time, it was difficult to promote in these countries, particularly Europe. So, my brother and I started travelling to different countries, attending various wellness medical exhibitions and travel fairs. We then took our Ayurvedic doctors to conduct seminars in many of these countries. We also invited several television and print media journalists to experience Ayurveda, and it was all new for them at that time. That was how Ayurveda became known and popular in the west.

Tell us a little about each of your six properties spread across Kerala.
Our first company was Somatheeram Ayurvedic Beach Resort in 1985. This was followed by the Somatheeran Hospital and Yoga Centre in 1989. Thereafter, we started Manaltheeram Ayurveda Beach Village in 1991. The Soma Houseboats property in Alleppey also started in 1990. Gradually, we expanded the property and added more rooms.

About ten years ago, there was a family division of the property between my brother and me. Around the same time, we started the Soma Birds Lagoon property near Kochi and the Soma Palmshore in Kovalam. In January 2020, we started Ayursoma Ayurveda Royal Retreat, just before the pandemic. These three properties—Somatheeram Ayurveda Village, Manaltheeram Ayurveda Beach Village and Ayursoma Ayurveda Royal Retreat—are fully Ayurveda ones. My brother’s property, Somatheeram Ayurvedic Health Resort, is also a fully Ayurveda one.

Tell us briefly about the packages and activities that the resorts offer.
We have a total of about 40 doctors and 200 therapists across these three properties, where we provide all kinds of Ayurveda treatments. We also have our own medicine manufacturing centre, where we prepare most of our oils and herbal medicines. Further, we have an Ayurveda herbal garden where we source our plants from.

In Ayurveda, food is medicine. Five of our doctors took almost three years to study and prepare a comprehensive Ayurveda menu for all three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) which we serve daily to our in-house guests. Our doctors teach our chefs how to prepare these dishes and also give clarifications to patients if they have any doubts about the right food they should eat.

Further, yoga and meditation is an important part of Ayurveda. We have a yoga institute, and our instructors teach and train our guests.

Which countries do most of your guests come from?
We have tourists coming from all parts of the world. Almost 90 percent of our guests are Europeans, coming from countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, the UK, Russia and CIS countries. About 10 percent of our guests are Indian.

What are the benefits of Ayurveda being offered at health resorts such as yours, particularly in a post-Covid world?
People have increasingly turned to Ayurvedic medicines, preparations, herbal inhalations during Covid times. A way of life, it boosts and builds immunity naturally. The basic idea of Ayurveda is threefold: cure, rejuvenation and prevention. Our doctors have also developed three programmes, specifically for post-Covid relief.

What are Somatheeram’s goals for the future?
My long term goals are to start a medicine manufacturing and selling unit, an Ayurveda college and a yoga ashram.