Herbal holiday

T Damu
10 January 2003

Kochi: All four hotels of the Taj in Kerala, which have full-fledged ayurvedic centres attached to them, have added a feather in their caps in the form of Green Leaf, the state government’s recognition for quality, purity and authenticity of the ayurvedic care rendered to the tourists.

The Tamara Spa at Taj Malabar, Kochi, the Taj Ayurveda Centre at Taj Residency, Kozhikode, Sowparnika at Taj Garden Retreat, Varkala and the Taj Ayurveda Centre at Kumarakom are the proud recipients of this honours by the Kerala government.

Green Leaf is the highest classification awarded to the ayurvedic centres that fulfil all the essential and optional conditions prescribed by the Kerala’s tourism department. The essential conditions include qualified and sufficient ayurvedic physicians and personnel to attend on both male and female tourists separately, high-quality medicines and health programmes, excellent, clean and hygienic equipment, environment, facilities and infrastructure.

The optional conditions specify that the centres should have high-standard architectural and interior features and superior extra facilities like steam bath rooms, meditation and yoga centres and herbal gardens. The centres that fulfil only the essential conditions are awarded the Olive Leaf classification.

A committee comprising the Kerala tourism director as its convenor and the director of Indian Systems of Medicine, the Professor Kayachikitsa, Government Ayurveda College, Thiruvananthapuram, a representative each from the Ayurveda College, Kottakkal, and Indian Association of Tour Operators as its members, after strict evaluation, accordingly, issues the relevant certificate. Thus, all the above Taj Ayurveda Centres have now received the top endorsement - the Green Leaf.

State-of-the-art centres All the four ayurveda centres of the Taj are set in luxurious five-star environments with serene ambience well suited for the nature of soul-stirring ayurvedic therapy provided by them. All are managed by qualified doctors and personnel trained by Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore. All these ayurveda centres of Taj in Kerala have treated a host of celebrities from all walks of life in inland and from abroad as well.