Ananda is part of the estate of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal
Banner image: Evenings include cultural performances in the amphitheater

Finding Ananda
A few months ago, when I told friends I was "looking for Ananda," I meant it literally and figuratively. I knew the award-winning destination spa was located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, but I couldn’t find it on a map. I also understood that in Sanskrit, Ananda means bliss — something that was missing in my life.

Google led me to www.anandaspa.com, where I learned that Ananda Spa is located 160 miles northeast of Delhi. Nearby towns are Haridwar, where faithful Hindus bathe in the Ganges, and Rishikesh, where The Beatles meditated with their guru.

I was greatly relieved to learn that American Airlines offers convenient service from San Diego to Delhi with a change of planes in Chicago. I used the long trans-Atlantic sector to glean shopping secrets from the flight attendants, watch a classic Bollywood movie (beautiful orphan finds soulmate), eat three very good meals, and sleep easily under a cozy cotton comforter.

Ananda took care of the rest, sending a car to pick us up at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi. We arrived in Rishikesh just before sunset and stopped on the banks of the Ganges to observe the Hindu ritual of Aarti. It was cooler than I’d expected, but I wrapped myself in a newly acquired pashmina and watched a saffron-robed guru and his 100-plus devotees float candles on the holy river. Their chanting was strangely powerful.

I realized later how lucky we were to have this experience en route to the spa. Excursions to Rishikesh are
offered regularly, but once I saw Ananda’s offerings, I didn’t want to leave the grounds.

Visualize, if you will, a palace on a ridge in the Himalayas, surrounded by clean air, warm sun, and a beautiful natural environment.

Peacocks wander across lush lawns, stately bamboo stirs in the breeze, and monkeys scramble through the forest. This is the ancestral estate of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal and the setting of Ananda Spa. Guests use the library and boardroom in the palace, but spend the majority of their time in facilities completed in 2001.

These modern spaces include an expansive spa with fitness center, a large heated pool, 75 deluxe hotel rooms, a restaurant with a charming wooden deck, and a picturesque six-hole par three golf course.

I had found Ananda and I liked it. I liked it even more when I saw our room, which included a picture window over the bathtub framing the idyllic view and a comfortable king bed with high thread count linens and down pillows. On the back of the desk chair, two pairs of kurta pyjamas had been left for my husband and me.

In the morning, we slipped into the loose white cotton pants and long shirt and headed to our first appointment. Ananda is an Ayurvedic spa and everyone starts his or her stay with a medical consultation.

"Ayurveda is the ancient Indian holistic way of life," Dr. Kumar explained. "Here, we provide a broad approach for the rejuvenation of mind, body, and soul."

He went on to diagnose our doshas or body types — there are three, and the goal of Ayurveda is to bring about a balance between them. Based on our types, Dr. Kumar prescribed certain spa treatments and recommended menu choices for our stay. He also discussed long-term lifestyle changes with us.

The complete cleansing and detoxifying program requires a 21-day stay and includes an eating plan, group and private yoga sessions, meditation, and a series of treatments. With only five days, I could hardly wait to get started.

Abhyanga began with me seated while one young woman massaged my feet with oil specific to my dosha and another applied more warm oil to my head and shoulders. Then I went facedown on a wooden table, and they did a synchronized full-body massage. Four-hand massages are relatively new in the West, but Ayurvedic treatments have always been done by a pair of therapists. For the finale, I sat in steam for five minutes and then showered with an exfoliating scrub made from lentils and turmeric. Before we parted, rasnadi powder, to improve immunity, was placed on my head.

Shirodhara began with a short Sanskrit chant and light massage, but for most of the hour I lay on my back while a stream of warm oil was poured slowly on my forehead. The experience was hypnotic, and I drifted into a meditative state. According to Dr. Kumar, this treatment "has intense rejuvenating and anti-aging effects, improves memory, and normalizes sleep patterns."

In the Choornaswedana treatment, I was massaged and tapped from head to toe with heated bags of herbs. This increases circulation and speeds the elimination of toxins from the body.

Meals at Ananda were almost as enjoyable as time spent in the spa. We talked with guests from Europe and various parts of India. Some were true believers in the benefits of Ayurveda; some were trying it for the first time; and others just wanted to enjoy good food, wonderful treatments, and the peaceful surroundings. In any case, everyone has a choice of eating according to his or her dosha, following a "weight management" diet, or ordering off the a la carte menu. And yes, wine and cocktails are available.

My favorite Ayurvedic lunch was the cinnamon flavored lotus stem cake followed by a veggie pizza on buckwheat crust. From the dinner menu, I enjoyed the panko-crusted Norwegian salmon served with long-bean stir-fry and wasabi mash. The Indian buffet gave me a chance to try chingri malai curry (king prawns simmered in coconut milk and mustard) and sangri key koftey (dried Jaisalmer bean dumplings in a yogurt curry).

Between spa treatments and meals, I attended Vedanta classes — at first just out of curiosity and then because I found the material compelling. This timeless philosophy offers the universal truths about life that promote a sense of wellbeing and physical health. I came to think of Vedanta as a priceless instruction manual for coping with relationships, stress, work, and the other challenges of day-to-day living.

Sridhar Sreedharan, who has also spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Wharton, Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford, gave the lectures. Topics included ego management, living by choice not by chance, finding peace of mind, clear thinking, and more.

In the quiet environment of Ananda, I was able to hear the message and examine my life. "You must find bliss within yourself," the teacher said. I did. — Elizabeth Hansen, photography by Adams/Hansen Photography