The newly opened “Vivaanta Ayurvedic Spa and Hair Salon” promises herbal therapeutic care to retain youth and health.
The Indian based healing centre is located on Church Street, Georgetown and was officially opened on Saturday.
Some of the services the one-stop centre offer include haircuts, styling and treatment; facial treatments, essential waxing and other hair removal services; body polishing and massages among services aimed at improving the well beings of all Guyanese.
Ayurveda is an alternative medicine derived from Indian roots with beliefs that the mind, body and spirit depend on the balance of your health and wellness. 
“This concept what we have introduced here is basically Ayurveda concept because everybody is nowadays mostly on the medicines and all kinds of things, blood pressure, diabetes…many things stress. So, this spa has a fusion of the age-old therapies together with that we have also added the strain of massages and all kinds of things,” Director of Vivaanta, Nitin Mehra said at the opening ceremony.
The Director said the centre provides treatment for spinal problems and backaches if the results from regular medicine do not work. There is also scalp treatment for dandruff and hair dropping problems.
“In this centre we have so many services that you can stay long day and the services will not end,” Mr. Mehra said.
The centre will only be using herbal products; the Director said this is to prevent side effects and longer lasting results.
In 2011 Vivaanta was also launched in Trinidad. The centre will be opened from 9:30hrs to 19:00hrs Monday to Sunday. 
India High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, who was also present at the opening ceremony said, “Vivannata assures the total relaxation through the reinvented regeneration and detoxification ayurvedic therapies and I am sure that Guyana will definitely benefit.”
The Indian High Commissioner commended Vivaanta on its “we buy local” policy.
The concept of ‘we buy local’ of Vivaanta is definitely an endearing concept for Guyana; when everyone in Guyana and almost everyday people talk about local content policy, particularly in the concept of upcoming oil and gas industry,” Mr. Mahalingam said. 
President of the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Vice Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Deodat Indar welcomed the change in the business sector in Guyana.
“One of the things we value is whenever business comes into Guyana is, the amount of people they employ and I was reliably informed that you [Vivaanta] have at least 15 persons that would be working here that are Guyanese and that means something to the business community,” Mr. Indar said.
According to the Director of Vivaanta, the plans for the future include the establishment of a Wellness Resort where persons can enjoy relaxation treatment for a longer period.
The Director further noted, “we will also look like for counterparts in Guyana who wants to come with us together to introduce an ayurvedic resort here.”
Other plans include the opening of an herbal manufacturing unit in the beauty industry. This will also provide employment opportunities for many Guyanese. (Isanella Patoir)
