Three of India's best holistic getaways

The year ending revelry and excesses has taken a toll. What better way to find your bearings than to sign up for a secluded, holistic holiday. Levitate, meditate and make a fresh start in 2011!

The year ending revelry and excesses has taken a toll. What better way to find your bearings than to sign up for a secluded, holistic holiday. Levitate, meditate and make a fresh start in 2011!

Kerla
Think Ayurveda and Kerala instantly hits the senses. Ayurveda is derived from two Sanskrit words (ayu meaning life, veda meaning knowledge).


A foreign tourist undergoes therapy at a private Ayrvedic treatment resort
at Poovar Beach, Kerala. Pic/AFP

It provides a well-balanced health to mind and body. In Kerala, the government supports Ayurveda as a result, of which one can avail these comprehensive Kerala Ayurvedic tour packages to suit every budget and demand. This age-old holistic treatment has become one of the primary revenue-earning sources for Kerala in terms of health tourism.

One can choose from numerous packages across resorts or spas, which offer Ayurveda treatment. Here, they will also supplement you with diet, yoga and meditation classes, and massage therapy. From obesity to liver problems, skin care to hair loss everything is believed to have an answer in this treatment.

Kerala's climate and natural beauty with large different varieties of herbs and medicinal plants make Kerala a wonderful destination for Ayurveda. In India, the Kerala Ayurvedic tour packages are some of the most healing and restorative packages.

The most favourable time to book tours is in the monsoon, when the atmosphere remains dust free and cool. Various types of Ayurvedic therapies are practiced in Kerala. The most prominent one include the Abhyangam, Dhanyamla Dhara, Dhara, Kativasthi, Njavarakizhi and Sirovasthi. These treatments ranges from seven to fourteen days or even more depending upon the package.

Pondicherry
The Union Territory of Pondicherry is known for its seaside retreats and secluded getaways that draw in seekers of tranquility from India and beyond. With its French-inspired architecture, sparse population and well-planned boulevard-like avenues, Pondicherry is ideal for any peace-seeker.

Yoga and meditation classes are available to suit tourists of every kind. A thirty-minute drive away takes one to Auroville, the home of Sri Aurobindo. It is common to visit the Aurobindo Ashram for meditation The Samadhi of Aurbindo is flocked with followers.

The library and the main building is accessible to those who have a gate pass from the bureau central. The Matri Mandir at Auroville is a famous meditation center in Pondicherry. There is a circular shaped meditation hall. A walk through this vast expanse of greenery gives the first-timer an all-round sense of serenity and peace. Yoga classes are conducted regularly by Yoga Acharyas.

Several followers of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother (Frenchwoman Mirra Alfassa, disciple to Sri Aurobindo) have taken residence at Auroville and live and work in a self-sustainable work-life set up within Auroville. Several handicraft and small-scale industries operate from within the area.

Rishikesh
Situated in the middle Garhwal range, Rishikesh can easily fit into your varied travel plans. From adrenaline-high river rafting expeditions to nature trails amidst abundant flora and fauna and peaceful, yoga-themed breaks, it's a delightful mix for the intrepid traveller.

Dubbed as the Yoga Capital of the World, Rishikesh's peace and quiet continues to draw in the meditative lot. Ever since The Beatles put Rishikesh on the world map in 1968, when they attended a transcendental mediation training session by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, this hilly retreat continues to draw the rich, famous and the nirvana-seeker to its fold. Yogashrams (yoga schools), meditation centres and luxurious holistic retreats and spas dot this Himalayan town.

Yoga is quite popular here, such that it plays host to the annual International Yoga Festival, every February. Interested folk can learn and practice yoga at the various ashrams that offer countless courses in different branches of this meditative form.

Some of the more famous schools include the Yoga Study Centre, Yoga Niketan Ashram, Swami Dayanada Ashram and Sri Ved Niketan Ashram. For those on unwind mode, wellness packages are customised to suit your stay and budget. This apart, tour operators also slip in adventure and nature for a slice of every action.