A March Through The Ages: Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala

Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS)—a name that has become almost synonymous to Ayur-veda, for Malayalis around the world. Its years of impeccable reputation and heritage have ensured it pride of place in the very fabric of society.

What started as one man’s dream is now a brand to reckon with in the field of holistic health care. Envisioned by its founder, Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier, as a small medical centre to examine his patients, AVS was first set up in 1902 in the small town of Kottakkal in Malappuram district of Kerala. Today it has four hospitals—the 300-bed flagship facility in Kottakkal and others in Kochi, Aluva and New Delhi— three state-of-the-art factories producing Ayurvedic medicines, medicinal gardens and an active research and development department.

The AVS hospitals offer traditional Ayurveda treatment for a variety of ailments, rejuvenation therapy and wellness packages. These include panchakarma, pizhichil, nasya, tarpanam, kizhi, shirodhara and several others. Such is the good repute that AVS has garnered over the years that people travel from different parts of the world to avail treatment at its hospitals.

AVS also has over 30 branch clinics in all major towns in Kerala as well as in other parts of the country, including in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. It retails its products through more than 1,700 authorised dealerships and sales depots across India. Its products are also available in select foreign markets.