At Home In The Mountains

Actor Rakul Preet Singh has had little time to celebrate post her wedding to her dear friend Jackky Bhagnani. Two months into the union, Travel+Leisure India & South Asia whisks away the newly wed actor to Moksha Himalaya Spa Resort in Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh for a celebration of the mind and soul.

- BAYAR JAIN

As a travel journalist, my chances of revisiting a place for work are slim to none. Hence, my second trip to Moksha Himalaya Spa Resort for a cover shoot feels special. This time, I am accompanied by actor Rakul Preet Singh, the April 2024 cover star of Travel+Leisure India & South Asia.

"I didn't know a place like this exists," says the actor as we take off on the 1.8-kilometre-long rope-way towards the resort. "It's beautiful!" she adds, awe-struck by the beauty that surrounds us. A quiet river, locally called Jhajra Nadi, quietly meanders through lofty mountains. At a distance, a herd of goats walk through deodar and pine forests. My mind goes back to the first time I visited the place, in 2023.

I recall being a bundle of nerves during the cable car journey; the jitters have since disappeared. Knowing that the rope-ways are checked quarterly and thorough maintainence check-ups are done annually eases my stress. One thought from the previous visit lingers on, though: surprise. Even today, I find it hard to believe that such a picturesque abode sits amid the Shivalik ranges in Himachal Pradesh, roughly 60 minutes away from the Chandigarh airport. Singh and the rest of the crew echo my thoughts.

As I disembark from the cable car and walk to the buggy for the last leg of the journey, a sense of familiarity washes over me. It's the unexpected cool breeze that catches me by surprise. My body's thermostat is confused. After all, it's April and it should be warm-if not scorching hot by now. But that's the magic of Moksha, a resort where the climate remains perennially pleasant, bordering on chilly.