I returned recently after a fortnight at the Sree Chitra Ayurveda home.

It was a great disappointment. It left me with none of that wonderful sense of wellbeing I felt after my ayurvedic fortnight in Kovalam last year. The very contrary: I have to recover from it.

It is sad, because I cannot speak sufficiently highly of the people in charge: they are kind, warm and helpful and certainly sincere in their commitment to ayurveda. They were so nice that I hesitated about sending you a report. In the end I decided to do it because of the misleading claims on their website.

True, the location on the riverbank is exquisite. Yes, there is a lovely breeze blowing from the river. Unfortunately, despite the superb location on the river bank, no riverside walk is available, nor indeed are there any walks of any kind. One can walk to the main road and back; that is all.

The building is as described, very impressive, masses of marble. The rooms, we are... More