The emerging trends of Spas in India. Spas conjure up images of meditation classes in a lonely place
and of course mud baths. The word Spa is popping up everywhere, even in strip malls. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is boasting of having the owner of a reputed Spa! How can they all be spas? What is a spa, anyway? Modern spas have their roots in towns famed for the healing powers of their mineral waters and hot springs. India is fast racing ahead to become Spa destination.
Today’s spas range from a “day spa”, where people can drop in for therapeutic massage, facials and body
treatments on a day-use basis, to the “destination spa”, where people immerse themselves in a total spa experience, including healthy food, exercise, medical evaluations, stress management nutrition education, spiritual growth and more.
There was also a centuries-old tradition of ayurveda, practiced at Hindu ashrams (A usually secluded residence of a religious community and its guru), offering holistic, life-enhancing treatments including yoga techniques. And traditional ayurvedic health resorts are aplenty in the South India where they flourish as an authentic cottage industry in the state of Kerala.
The Taj Group of Hotels is a pioneer in the spas and health arena especially in Goa and Kerala. In Goa, there is Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort. Built on the ramparts of a 16th century Portuguese fortress, the resort is part of a sprawling 88-acre complex overlooking the Arabian Sea. Situated right on the beach, the resort
offers guests a unique opportunity to relax in elegantly appointed villas and cottages, serenaded by lapping waves.
The Leela Goa is set on 75 luxurious acres along prime Arabian Sea beachfront. All rooms face water. The spa specializes in ayurvedic treatments and also offers a buffet yoga, Western spa therapies, sauna, steam, a gym and massage.
A fashionable spot in which to unwind and literally get high is Ananda – In the Himalayas. This wellness sanctuary is situated in a restored royal palace in the Himalayan foothills. The spa offers the latest European and Thai treatments to purify the body and soothe the senses. There are 20 therapy rooms along with yoga venues, and hydrotherapy, relaxation and fitness areas.
Amarvilas, overlooking the Taj, Agra perched in the hills above the holy city of Rishikesh on the Ganges; ananda is a short day’s drive, 260 km from New Delhi. If your wallet is up to it, charter a helicopter, or fly to Dehra Dun and to do the one-hour scenic drive up.
On to Jaipur capital city of Rajasthan, where Rajvilas awaits with a turmeric skin purifier or rose sandalwood wrap – luxurious recipes used widely by the royals of this desert state. After a day of storming through Jaipur’s fabulous sightseeing, don’t miss out on the “Spirit of Ayurveda” treatment which includes a sand bundle massage, shirodhara (where a stream of sesame oil is poured over your third eye), and a flower bath.
However it is in the deep South, in Kerala, the state called “God’s Own Country”, that spas and ayurveda really come into their own.