Travel+Leisure India & South Asia – August 2019

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Clockwise from left:

Apart from being a

spiritual getaway,

Rishikesh is also the

base for many a trek

and pilgrimage; an

aarti takes place at all

the ghats along the

city to worship the

River Ganges every

evening; Roseate

Ganges is an eco-

luxury resort.

I’M ON A MISSION TO FIND MY IKIGAI, the ‘Japanese secret

to a long and happy life’. My latest read by the same

name, written by Héctor García and Francesc

Miralles, has clearly left a mark on me. The concept of

mens sana in corpore sana (‘a sound mind in a sound

body’) has always inspired me to find ways to reboot

my high-stress lifestyle. And like The Secret executing

its law of attraction, I stumble upon an invite from

Roseate Ganges, which recently opened its doors to

guests on the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas—in

a lesser frequented part of Rishikesh. The universe is

listening, I realise. For one, Rishikesh is the yoga

capital of the world. And secondly, Roseate Ganges—

with its 16-villa luxury accommodations—promises

to be a wellness resort. So, I embark on a road trip to

Rishikesh in the hope of finding a place that can bring

some calm into my nomadic routine.

Rishikesh is a seven-hour drive from my Gurugram

home, and the route is mostly smooth, except certain

pockets of Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Haridwar, where

traffic jams can slow you down. I leave home at dawn to

escape the masses, and touch the property well in time

for a late lunch. I am famished, yet I’m taken in by the

seamless landscape of the Garhwal Himalayas that

Roseate Ganges overlooks. Aparna Purohit, the front-

office manager, tells me it’s Mount Shivalaya that I’m

staring at while I sip on a rhododendron

drink sitting by the infinity pool. I take a

long, deep breath, and I can feel my lungs

heave a sigh of relief from the polluted air

I usually consume in the National Capital

Region. My wellness journey of 72 hours

starts here.

Designed by architect Saurabh Dakshini,

Roseate Ganges comprises well-appointed

cottages, each opening to a private balcony.

This also turns out to be the place where

I spend most of my time, for it grants me

unhindered mountain views and infinite

FROM TOP: OLEKSANDR RUPETA/ALAMY; COURTESY OF ROSEATE GANGES.OPPOSITE: SHUTTERSTOCK