SARA

A LEGACY OF FERTILITY, FAMILY, AND FRESHLY BOTTLED GOODNESS

- BY RIHAAB MOWLANA

From a coconut plantation in Weriyapola to handcrafted wellness blends in Colombo, SARA is more than a brand. It's a story of three generations bound by the land. Co-founder Kaushalya Gunathilake speaks of humble beginnings, rediscovered family roots, and the quiet joy of turning abundance into purpose. What began as her personal pastime during the pandemic has blossomed into a tribute to her husband's grandfather, the visionary cultivator Don Gunathilake, whose century-old ethos of care and cultivation still seeps through every bottle of SARA today.

Q WHO FOUNDED SÄRA, AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TURN A FAMILY LEGACY INTO A MODERN WELLNESS BRAND?

SARA was founded by me, along with my family, Buddhima, Anuki, Chethin and Lehan.

The estate we have is a coconut plantation in Weriyapola, but it consists of more than 300 fruit trees from different varieties. Even though the coconuts are given out, we do not target giving the fruit harvest outside for monetary gain. We usually distribute it among friends and family. Even still, we were always left with a lot of fruit and vegetables which went to waste.

Cooking being a hobby of mine, I used to come up with different sorts of fruit juices which were enjoyed by my close circle of friends and family. Realising that I have plenty of time left since the children are all grown up, I wanted to do something to occupy myself with and to use the skills that I am good at. With the biggest support from my husband and the 3 children, I started catering to the juice needs of my closest people. It was one of the humblest beginnings.

With COVID things became slow, but afterwards it started to move again...but during COVID, with the ample free time at hand as a family, we had the chance to discuss what we can do to improve what was slowly becoming something that I cherish. During that time, we came up with the label and different ideas for the betterment of our brand.