Ever the creative, Anita Lal, founder of India's iconic lifestyle brand Good Earth, has channelled her alchemist's heart into a new 10-bedroom garden retreat immersed in the spiritual magnitude of the Himalayas. Located at an altitude of 8,200 feet, 13km from Manali, on the way to the ancient Buddhist valleys of Lahaul and Spiti, Sitara Himalaya is not just a showcase for the Good Earth aesthetic. An extension of Lal's own holiday home (a two-minute walk away) and imbued with her unpretentious, embracive approach to life, here is a sanctuary in which to pause, reflect, reconnect with the natural world, meet interesting new friends, laugh, dance and re-remember the pulse of life.
I first met Mrs Lal at her Delhi home in Chanakyapuri seven years ago. As we sat chatting under the bougainvillea in her garden, the smell of frangipani floating evocatively in the air, a silver tray bearing home-brewed tea, the prettiest mugs and copious amounts of biscuits arrived. Anita Lal leant forward, pressed her hand lightly on my forearm and suggested, "Don't hold back". She may be globally renowned for her lifestyle brand, but amongst her friends Mrs Lal is beloved for her innate generosity, warmth, wisdom, storytelling, and sparkle. From the beginning. "AL", as she is affectionately known by the women who work with her, taught me a new definition of living well, one rooted in her own adage "life is short, let's make it sweet". Away from the rigid interpretations of well-being that I have been exposed to in the West-summarised by strict protocols, thin bodies and green juices-she showed me a new, distinctly Indian path. One where good health was equated to joy and to beauty, an indulgence of the senses-some oil in your hair whilst you work, the drape of a fabric, some perfectly arranged tuberose, a home-cooked chicken curry, an evening spent dancing to the sweetness and romance of an old Hindi song.
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