Aditya Ayurveda poised to take traditional holistic healing to the world

• Aditya Ayurveda, with Sri Lanka’s first ayurveda research facility, aims at dispelling misconceptions regarding ayurveda and promoting practice as mainstream treatment while taking it to the world
• Plans collaborations with Minor Group of Hotels globally and the NH Group of Hotels and Teardrop Hotels locally to promote their unique brand of hela wedakama and ayurveda

By Uma Chandrasiri

Aditya Ayurveda, like its namesake, the rising sun, aims at spreading its healing light within Sri Lanka and beyond this year, with exciting new promotions planned in Australia and Japan. Aditya Ayurveda is one of the few natural medicine practices in Sri Lanka that amalgamates the centuries-old wisdom of ‘helawedakama’ (the indigenous medicine of Sri Lanka) with traditional Indian Ayurveda practices.

In an exclusive interview with Daily FT, Aditya Ayurveda CEO Ranuka Karunaratne said: “My vision is to convey to the world that Sri Lanka is the proud possessor of this time-honoured and proven holistic healing practice. We find it apt that Aditya Ayurveda was born in the first-ever kingdom of our country, and the city that built our first hospital.” 

“As the CEO of Aditya Ayurveda, apart from my business goals, my more substantial moral goal is to dispel misconceptions related to Ayurveda in Sri Lanka and to educate our people about the efficacy of this age-old practice, which, as the name suggests, is the science of life. Despite Ayurveda’s remarkable results since ancient times, it has not yet come to the forefront of Sri Lankan healthcare and is often perceived by many as an alternative treatment, when ideally it should be mainstream. The efficacy of hela wedakama and ayurveda lies in the fact that these methods address the root cause of an illness and not symptoms. Hence, it brings sustainable solutions.” Karunaratne added.

A pioneering health tourism brand in Sri Lanka, Aditya Ayurveda is the brainchild of its Chairman Dr. Sarath Gunawardhana, whose unique blend of hela wedakama with the essence of Ayurveda has been created and perfected to treat not only the body but also the mind. 

Dr. Gunawardhana dreamt of taking hela wedakama from ‘Rajarata to the world’ and the Aditya Ayurveda team has proudly fulfilled that vision today.

“In our quest to expand our practice to the world, we have chosen to partner with the trusted global entity, the Minor Group of Hotels, due to their being a brand that aligns with our values on sustainability, social conscience, and the value they place on people.” stated Karunaratne. 

Aditya envisions a positive partnership with the Minor Hotels globally and the NH Group of Hotels locally, to ensure their aim of saturating the Sri Lankan natural healthcare market and to expand the concept overseas. Aditya has plans for future partnerships with the Teardrop Group of Hotels as well. Currently, Aditya’s international focus is predominantly on Central Europe, and plans are already underway to attract holistic healing enthusiasts from Australia and Japan.

Aditya Ayurveda is also proud to have launched Sri Lanka’s first ever fully equipped and registered ayurveda research facility in Anuradhapura, where their team of experts constantly strive to improve the efficacy of existing medication and introduce new products to the market. This first of its kind research facility is a crucial step by the Adiyta team to dispel the myth that hela wedakama and Ayurveda are alternative treatments. The team is currently developing a tablet form of Ayurvedic medication aimed at creating convenience for users.

Aditya Ayurveda’s first treatment centre is its state-of-the-art, eco-friendly facility located in Anuradhapura, which houses 25 rooms ranging from luxurious premier to standard accommodations. The facility also features amenities such as yoga and meditation zones, a library, a gymnasium, a jacuzzi, a sauna, and a rooftop pool. To continue treatments initiated at Anuradhapura and to facilitate greater convenience to both local and international guests, the group introduced Aditya Ayurveda Colombo in June 2023, a serene urban extension of their healing philosophy. Celebrating its second anniversary this year, the Colombo centre has swiftly become a trusted destination for holistic wellness in the city. This milestone is a testament to the growing relevance of holistic healing in modern urban living and reflects Aditya’s commitment to making time-honoured traditions accessible to all. The only difference between the Anuradhapura and Colombo centres is that Colombo does not offer accommodation facilities.

Mangata Galle

January 2025 saw the birth of Aditya’s sister brand, Mangata Galle, a luxury beachfront 4-roomed oasis offering holistic healing and rejuvenation with the soothing backdrop of the azure ocean. “Mangata in Swedish means the reflection of the moon on water, and we were keen to link Aditya, which is our treatment brand, with Mangata, our wellness brand with the sun and moon connection,” Karunaratne added.

Rooted in the belief that food is medicine, organically certified Aditya Ayurveda incorporates a refined organic concept purely using organic produce with no artificial preservatives or flavours added. Aditya Ayurveda Colombo is equipped with a restaurant offering healthy all-day dining and unique and exciting high tea options. I was offered delectable delights such as atta cake with avocado cream, cassava roll with a mango and vegetable filling, kurakkan muffin with lemon curd, and paneer tikka. Apart from these Aditya offers innovative delicacies such as cucumber and green tea suchi with accompaniments, seared paneer with shallots and ambarella chutney on rye bread, coconut crumbed Thai fish rolls with mango salsa and as tea sweets, lychee and sweet tamarind preserve served with weli thalapa and mango and strawberry magic on kurakkan cake and many more to their valued patrons.

Aditya’s commitment towards providing the highest quality healing is further evident in their achievement of ISO 9001:2015 certification, the Safe and Secure Travel Certification issued by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority for meeting compliance requirements of Sri Lanka Tourism operational guidelines, and their numerous sustainable practices such as organic farming at ‘Weda gama’, where in-house guests at the Anuradhapura centre are taken on excursions to handpick fruits and vegetables, reduction of single use plastics, waste management and water conservation among others.