A PLACE TO HEAL

Set on a 40-hectare Maharaja's palace in the far reaches of northern India, health retreat Ananda in the Himalayas is truly as close to Nirvana as you can get, writes Cathy Wagstaff.

- Cathy Wagstaff

India awakens all your senses, the spicy aroma of chai brewing and sandalwood incense, the rainbow hues of saris and piles of diamantestudded bracelets, the persistent hoot of car horns, and the high-pitched cry of hawkers selling tchotchkes and pani puri. This was the India, chaotic and colourful in equal measure, that I knew. But high in the Himalayan foothills, I discovered another India. Serene, contemplative and imbued with a sacred stillness.

Ananda in the Himalayas is set above the holy town of Rishikesh and the Ganges River valley, a region long revered as the birthplace of yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. Founded by Ashok Khanna, a veteran of the Oberoi Group and a lifelong student of Eastern philosophies, Ananda was created with a clear purpose. Khanna explains: "To bring together ancient remedies with the deep-rooted wisdom of Indian culture and blend them all with the best of international practices."

A royal welcome

After a scenic 40-minute drive from Dehradun airport that winds through the foothills of the Himalayas, we ascend the last stretch of road to Ananda. As the car rounds the final bend, Ananda’s cast-iron gates come into view - grand, intricately wrought and timelessly elegant. They swing open slowly, and anticipation builds as the palace appears, perched against a backdrop of mist-veiled mountains.