Profile

Culture, health, business and care for environment. Rarely do they mix. Moreover, it is a strange brew. But, Polly Mathew Arampankudy, the Chairman of the Somatheeram resorts near Kovalam, in Thiruvananthapuram has attained precisely that.

He does not boast of a pedigree in Ayurveda. A businessman to the core, Polly Mathew took upon the daunting task of erecting a resort of world-class standards at this little known place, south of Kovalam, with little or no support from others.

His tourism recipe may actually have some lessons for tourism policymakers as well. Even before the public became aware of it or the government explored such a possibility, he has established a resort that would ''restore natural body and mind rhythms.'' Polly's straightforward; sociable ways and shrewd business head raised it to prosperity, respect, and international acclaim.

What prompted him to embark on such an adventure? It has an interesting story behind it. While life was progressing as a successful supermarketer in Germany, he chanced upon an advertisement in a health magazine put by a Sri Lankan firm claiming magical cures through Ayurveda. But, Indian advertisements on Ayurveda were totally absent from any of the Health Mags available there, despite his repeated attempts to find one. It made him sit back and think about the scenario where others are exploiting our indigenous medicinal system for want of proper publicity and information. In many ways, it was a re-discovery for him.

So, he decided to journey back to the old ways and principles. To the indigenous solutions and the rejuvenating therapy which thrived here long back. It was not an attempt to fuse the old with the new. But, doing things, precisely the same way it has been done for several centuries.

Soon, he was in the thick of activities and was sending patients to Kerala on a regular basis. As the numbers began to swell, the system that was prevalent in Kerala during that period showed its inherent flaws. The doctors as well as the infrastructure were not equipped to cater to the European taste and refinement. And many European clients openly showed their displeasure which translated to heavy financial loss.

This forced him to have a fresh look at his approach and business strategy, which finally culminated in the establishment of Somatheeram Ayurvedic Beach resort, near Kovalam, in 1990. He packaged Ayurvedic therapy by blending the essentials favoured by Europeans like beach and avenues for relaxation, which includes yoga and a calm and quiet locale in addition to traditional setting by keeping brick and mortar structures to a bare minimum. They were presented a truly invigorating and intoxicating adventure, which was lapped up wholeheartedly and he began to reap the rewards of his unconventional approach.

As the things progressed, outward growth became imperative. From modest beginnings, it has grown into a wide enterprise. The resort now boasts of a super deluxe granite bungalow (Sidhartha), four deluxe traditional Kerala houses (Illam, Mana, Arappura & Tharavadu), ordinary traditional Kerala houses (Nalukettu) and several cottages catering to the budget tourists.

But, even the large-scale demand did not alienate him from the taste of European tourists. Wherever possible, he used wooden structures. Every single cottage or suite at the premises of Somatheeram has a unique legacy behind it. Most of them are careful reconstructions of traditional homes of Kerala.

In an industry where nothing but the best will do, he set the standard that everyone else aspires to. By employing the guardians of Ayurveda (Parampariya Vaidyars) and Ayurvedic doctors alike, he created a truly international resort.

By fostering close, long-term relationships with clients and by doing this consistently, his business continues to succeed and grow. The main factor that supports this unique venture is the word-of-mouth publicity. The core competence and competitive advantage of Somatheeram spans several continents, and has found thousands of takers.
And to cater to the wide taste he has recently launched another Ayurvedic-Beach combination, titled 'Manaltheeram,' very near to Somatheeram.

Though Ayurveda was one of the best-known, most popular treatment method prevailed in Kerala, its full scope and potential was discovered by people like him. And to showcase it to the world, Somatheeram has brought a comprehensive CD on Ayurveda, the first in India.

Now, these pioneering efforts are getting appreciated not only for its performance but also for its embodied variety, vitality, and substance. The state government has recognized the efforts of this resort towards propagating and preserving Ayurveda and presented them Kerala State Tourism Award during the past three years.

Somatheeram has a long list of celebrities like the members of Travancore Royal family and celebrities like TN Seshan. And the media hype that follows the host of celebrities makes it a glamorous destination.

One of the finest and most exotic Ayurvedic beach resorts in the country, Somatheeram keeps alive the heritage and culture of the centuries old system of cure.