Ananda in the Himalayas

Ananda in the Himalayas is a luxury destination spa in Narendra Nagar, Uttarakhand, set in the Indian Himalayas.

Ananda in the Himalayas
Viceregal Palace, Ananda in the Himalayas, Narendra Nagar, built by the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, 1911.
General information
LocationNarendra Nagar, Uttarakhand, India
Opening2000
OwnerIHHR Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
Website
http://www.anandaspa.com

Set in a 100-acre (40 ha) Himalayan mountain estate set amidst sal forests, overlooking the river Ganges, close to the towns of Rishikesh and Muni Ki Reti, it was established in 2000, and was India's first destination spa.[1] Ananda focusses on Yoga and Ayurveda practices,[2] combined with international spa therapies.[3] The property includes the royal palace of Narendra Nagar, of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal (an Indian princely state),[4] and the restored Viceregal Palace which was added to the palace in 1910–11 by the Maharaja for an expected visit of the Viceroy of India. Though the visit never materialized, the edifice remains,[5] and went to accommodate the likes of Lord Mountbatten of Burma, a later Viceroy of India.[6][7][8]

In 2003 and 2007 it was considered one of the best spas in the world by The Telegraph[9][10] and rated No. 1 destination spa in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2008.[11]

Etymology
The lounge at Ananda in the Himalayas.

The word ananda means happiness in Sanskrit.[8]

History
An old fountain, Ananda spa, Narendra Nagar

Some years ago, given the impetus on health and rejuvenation in the world and after an exhaustive search located a site for a destination spa, Ashok Khanna,[12] discovered the Palace of the Maharaja at Narendra Nagar, Tehri-Garwhal. It was decided that the property was to be called "Ananda in the Himalayas", a name that embodies the spirit and ethos of what Khanna wanted to offer to his guests.[13]

Soon the former Viceregal Palace close to the Royal palace of the Shah family, of the erstwhile princely state of Tehri Garhwal originally built in 1910–11,[5] was restored. Narendra Nagar was the summer capital and the Palace, where the present viceregal suite of Ananda in the Himalayas is situated, is the official residence.

Himalayan view, from Ananda, with the meandering Ganges

Traditional Indian practices of yoga, meditation, ayurveda and vedanta are offered at the spa. Treatments include Ayurvedic spa treatments, Tibetan treatments and international therapies such as massage, body wraps and facials.[14][15]

Visitors

Ananda has been frequented by many famous guests, including Chris Froome and his wife Michelle Cound,[16] Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Hall, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, Kate Winslet, Frederick Forsyth, Deepak Chopra, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Piven, Ricky Martin, Macklemore, Bharat Kavitha Golecha, Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.[11]

Ratings
Lawns surrounding the 21,000 sq.ft. Ananda spa.

In 2005, Condé Nast Traveler rated this spa as the 'Best Overseas Spa Retreat' with a score rating of 99.62 and the Readers choice world's Number 1 destination spa (2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2019,[17] 2020[18]) It is also the only spa in India to be awarded the 5 wave certificate by BISA (British International Spa Association). Highly recommended by many other travel journals such as The New York Times,[7] Travel and Leisure,[19][20] While its judged as 'Top Spa in India' by Spa Finder, Inc.[21] According to a reviewer of The Telegraph, Ananda "..mixes the healing principles of the East with the pampering needs of the West.".[22]

Business

Ananda is owned and managed by IHHR Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.[23][24]

Ashok Khanna, the managing director of the company, is the grandson of legendary hotelier Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi. Khanna is a graduate from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and has over three decades of experience in hospitality.

IHHR hospitality also founded a chain of luxury business hotels known as Ista Hotels.[25] These hotels located in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Amritsar and Pune are now managed under the brand name "Hyatt".[26]

Education

The Ananda spa institute, located adjacent to the Ista hotel in Hyderabad, admitted its pilot group of students in the summer of 2008. This educational institution is the only one of its kind in the world that provides yoga, Ayurveda and international therapies under one roof. Realizing the importance of international certification, the institute has got the International Therapy Examination Council (ITEC), Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (CIBTEC) to prescribe the curriculum for the courses on international treatments and give the required certification. The curriculum for the Yoga and Ayurveda courses will be framed and certified by the institute itself. The institute plans to lead spa education in South East Asia and maintain high standards throughout the region with international cooperation. Josephine Wackett has been appointed Principal. She was earlier with the world-famous Steiner School in London, where she was principal of the Steiner Beauty School for the last 30 years. Josephine is also the CIDESCO International Board member for Education.[27]

Sources
  • "India: Mandarin group, Indian Hotels part ways on Himalayan resort," Businessline. Chennai: 27 December 2001. page 1.
  • "Ayurveda Meets Five-Star Splendor at New 'Ananda,'" by Lisa Tsering. India - West. 18 May 2001, Vol.XXVI, Isse 29; page C32.

References
  1. The Himalayas: Over the hills and far away The Telegraph, 6 May 2008.
  2. Yoga Escapes: A Yoga Journal Guide to the Best Places to Relax, Reflect, and Renew, by Jeanne Ricci. Published by Celestial Arts, 2003. ISBN 1-58761-187-2. Page 131.
  3. Ananda Archived 22 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine Travel + Leisure.
  4. Dugger, Celia W. (30 July 2000). "Himalayan Spa for Sybarites". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  5. Ananda - In the Himalayas Asia's Legendary Hotels: The Romance of Travel, by William Warren, Jill Gocher. Published by Tuttle Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0-7946-0174-X. Page 74.
  6. India's only destination spa, Ananda mixes... St. Petersburg Times, 1 January 2006.
  7. Ananda-in-the-Himalayas
  8. "Google Translate". Translate.google.com. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  9. Ten of the best spas - Suzanne Duckett selects her top spas around the world The Telegraph, 12 September 2003.
  10. Winner by a head The Telegraph, 9 April 2007.
  11. Jeremy landed at Ananda in the Himalayas Archived 11 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine Discovery Channel.
  12. hospitality sector needs infrastructural support-Ashok Khanna The Economic Times, 26 March 2009.
  13. Bliss Himalayas Times of India, 12 October 2003.
  14. Ananda Spa Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Luxist.com. 18 October 2005.
  15. India: The Ananda Spa - Jo Foley reports on the Ananda Spa in the Himalayas The Telegraph, 19 July 2001.
  16. "Tour de France Winner Christopher Froome visits Ananda in the Himalayas | C&C Alpha Group". Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  17. "Readers' Choice Awards 2019: All the winners". 7 October 2019.
  18. "Top 30 Destination Spa Resorts in the World: Readers' Choice Awards 2021". 5 October 2021.
  19. "Nine Great Meditation Retreats to Find Your Inner Zen". Travelandleisure.com. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  20. "For Luxury Travelers, India's Past Isn't Past". The New York Times.
  21. "Travelog". The Economic Times. 13 December 2007.
  22. "Healing meets pampering". The Telegraph. 1 August 2005. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012.
  23. IHHR Hospitality .. The Economic Times, 26 March 2009.
  24. IHHR Hospitality Pvt. ltd. Official website.
  25. "Ista Hotel to expand India operations". Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
  26. "Top New Hotels Annual List by Conde Nast Traveler - Ista Hyderabad Named Among World's Top New Hotels by Conde Nast". Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
  27. "IHHR plans spa institute for 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
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