Kerala becoming the Spa Heaven for Tourists

April 16, 2007

(Ayushveda.com) - The south Indian state of Kerala is called as God's own country. This beach state is filled with the bounties of nature, especially the tall coconut palms that dot the entire coastline of the state. In addition, there are several forests in Kerala, which give some coolness to this otherwise smoldering tropical state. Kerala is very popular all over the world for its martial arts, rice and gravy cuisine and of course, the boat races on its lagoons, such as the Vembanad.

Along with all this, Kerala has always been recognized as the Ayurvedic hub of India . Ayurveda did not originate specifically in this state, but due to its rich herbal wealth, Kerala today undoubtedly ranks the first in all products pertaining to this science. Added to this, the people of Kerala have also had the business acumen of promoting Ayurveda as a unique natural therapeutic brand among the western population.

The herbal industry in the US itself is pegged at around $40 billion dollars, out of which a major production is somehow sourced from Kerala. Kerala also has the largest number of Ayurveda based resorts and retreats in the world. These resorts are known as vaidya shalas, and are usually located on the idyllic beaches of Kerala. More than the Indian population, these resorts attract foreigners, mostly people from America and Europe .

The Ayurvedic spas in Kerala promote the herbal science as a method of treatment and rejuvenation. They entail a weekly to a fortnightly stay in the resorts, and visitors are provided with several methods of Ayurvedic treatments. The most famous is of course the full body Ayurvedic massage. This massage is performed with the subject lying disrobed on the sand of the beach, while the body is smeared with several Ayurvedic oils. The Ayurvedic massage differs greatly from other massage techniques adopted all over the world. For one, the oils used are strictly herbal, and are often quite strong smelling. Even the mode of massaging is quite vigorous. The masseur will adopt short but sharp strokes on the body, which would not be painful due to the excessive lubrication used.

Another traditional form of massage requires the person to sit on a chair, while the masseur works on different parts of the body.

Kerala is also very famous for using the Panchakarma therapies. This is an entire natural regimen of purifying the body and making it rejuvenated. Panchakarma, which literally means 'five actions', has been investigated by American scientists and found it to be quite a reliable approach at treatment.

Pranayama and Yoga are part of the therapies used at Ayurvedic resorts. Shirodhara is one more Ayurvedic technique often used, in which a steady stream of oil is allowed to pour on the forehead of the person. These techniques are very beneficial in stimulating physical and mental wellbeing of the person.

Kerala has very little needed to do in order to make their guests feel at home. In fact the state has so many natural amenities, that the resorts do not need to be very well-furnished. In fact, most of Kerala resorts use very basic living places, for that is the very essence of Ayurveda – to be one with nature. Living in plush quarters takes away greatly from what the natural therapy sets out to do.

Needless to say, Kerala earns a lot of foreign revenue through its foreign guests in these Ayurvedic resorts and spas. A fortnightly stay in these places could cost up to $2,000 to $4,000 per person depending on the reputation of the place. Bookings are taken online all around the year. With Kerala, the tourist season never stops. At all times, the beaches are crowded with tourists making the best of their vacations, and trying to make their lives healthier.