Revatha Shah on Sri Lankan Vedda

Discover how Revatha, founder of Vedda Teas and Sarana, is reviving Sri Lanka’s indigenous culture through ethical tourism, herbal wellness, and immersive cultural experiences.

Revatha Preserving Indigenous Culture through Vedda Teas and Sarana

By Dee Gibson | Sri Lanka: Modern Perspectives from an Ancient Melting Pot

In a world driven by fast-paced globalization and homogenized travel experiences, Sri Lanka’s indigenous identity faces the challenge of preservation. In an enlightening episode of the podcast “Sri Lanka – Modern Perspectives from an Ancient Melting Pot,” I speak to Revatha, founder of Vedda Teas and co-founder of Sarana—two remarkable ventures championing the resurgence of Sri Lankan cultural heritage.

Through his work, Revatha is redefining what it means to experience Sri Lanka—not as a tropical escape but as a deeply rooted, historically rich island with stories, customs, and practices that deserve center stage.

🔁 A Journey Back to the Roots

Revatha’s story is one of reconnection. Raised in Colombo and educated in the UK, he found himself increasingly disconnected from his heritage. A successful career in finance failed to satisfy a growing desire for authenticity and cultural grounding. This spiritual and intellectual yearning led him back to Sri Lanka, where he began to explore its indigenous traditions, healing practices, and deep-rooted tea heritage.

The result? Two dynamic platforms—Vedda Teas and Sarana—that are redefining sustainable tourism, wellness, and cultural education in Sri Lanka.

🍵 Vedda Teas: Brewing Sri Lanka’s Herbal Legacy

Inspired by the strength and simplicity of the Vedda people, Sri Lanka’s indigenous community, Vedda Teas is a brand with purpose. More than a tea company, Vedda Teass is a cultural revival movement. It challenges colonial legacies by reclaiming the word "Vedda"—once misused—and turns it into a celebration of ancient herbal wisdom.

Vedda Teas offers consciously sourced, organic herbal teas rooted in Ayurvedic traditions and Sri Lankan indigenous knowledge. Revatha’s goal is not just to market a product but to educate consumers—locals and tourists alike—about the centuries-old infusions that predate colonial black tea.

🌀 Sarana: Immersive Cultural Experiences

Complementing Vedda Teas is Sarana, a platform offering immersive workshops and cultural exchanges. From learning Angampura (Sri Lanka’s ancient martial art) to engaging in batik-making or traditional music, Sarana allows travelers to go beyond surface-level tourism.

Sarana’s ethos is clear: make indigenous experiences a core part of the Sri Lankan travel narrative. By doing so, Revatha hopes to counter the often sanitized, Westernized portrayals of the island and instead center native stories, rituals, and practices.

⚖️ Challenges of Cultural Preservation in a Global Economy

During the podcast, we explore the friction between cultural authenticity and modern tourism. Many resorts and hospitality ventures prioritise luxury over local tradition, which risks erasing the very elements that make Sri Lanka special.

Yet, Revatha views this not as a threat but an opportunity—to reframe Sri Lanka's identity in the global tourism sector. By integrating cultural literacy into tourism, businesses like Sarana and Vedda Teas help reshape perceptions and empower local communities.

🔮 A Vision for Cultural Renaissance

Revatha envisions a cultural renaissance, one where Sri Lanka’s indigenous wisdom, rituals, and art forms are not relics of the past but active, living traditions that evolve with time. His work through Vedda Teas and Sarana is just the beginning of this movement.

With a focus on sustainability, authenticity, and education, these ventures are carving a space for Sri Lanka on the world stage—not just as a tourist hotspot, but as a cultural powerhouse.

💬 Final Thoughts

In a rapidly globalizing world, voices like Revatha’s are crucial. His mission to preserve Sri Lanka’s indigenous identity, empower local communities, and offer authentic cultural experiences is both timely and essential.

For travelers seeking meaningful, conscious travel and locals wanting to reconnect with their roots, Vedda Teas and Sarana offer a gateway to rediscover the soul of Sri Lanka.

🔗 Learn More

🎧 PODCAST Listen to the episode with Revatha:
“Rediscovering the Roots: Sri Lanka’s Indigenous Identity with Revatha”

Spotify here / Apple here

🌐 Explore Vedda Teas: https://veddaorganics.com
🌐 Discover Sarana: www.saranacultural.com

About Revatha Shah

Revatha is the founder of Vedda Organics, an enterprise that offers natural medicines sourced directly from rural communities across the Island of Sri Lanka, including its marginalised indigenous groups. He is also the Co-founder of Sarana, a space in Ahangama Sri Lanka, that tells the Sri Lankan story by providing a platform for local art, wellness and culture through it’s many experiential offerings at its peaceful sanctuary, in the fast evolving and modernising coastal town.

Revatha grew up near Colombo, Sri Lanka’s metropolitan capital city, he received a private school education and studied economics in the UK, a privilege afforded to very few in Sri Lanka. He went on to work in corporate finance roles, venture capital and then private equity for a large American multi-national before finally cracking and realising the westernised bubble that he had been living in his entire life. He then embarked on a journey to connect to his roots and the abundance of the island he calls home, he has now dedicated his life to creating community centric business models that celebrate the Sri Lankan identity.