The silent component of this retreat takes place on a unique area of land which stands alone near a Kali & Durga temple at the top of a mountain whose height is 11,154 feet above sea level. Our setting is completely surrounded by (government protected) forestry land which stretches down to the mountain’s base and then further out to lush wooded mountains lying parallel. There is a 360 degree view over numerous valleys and 160 degree view of the Himalayan summits. As ‘the crow flies’ the glaciers are at a distance of 10km. From here, eagles and rare vultures scan the view before descending to valleys below in search of prey. The only sound is the wind passing through trees, birdsong and silence.
The land is on a naturally formed (relatively) flat terrain. This mountain peak is the last watershed before the glaciers; the water flowing towards the north/west meets the Arabian Sea and from the South/East it flows towards the Ganges and Bay of Bengal. The primeval forest sloping from all sides is mostly comprised of towering Kharu and Rai trees covered in lichen and ferns. There are several open areas of grassland where you can relax and have exceptional views.
The earth supporting the land is visibly rich in minerals and semi-precious stones such as crystal, chlorite schist and pink, white and amber quartzile (see our gallery) but for obvious reasons there is a forestry law protecting their excavation. Surrounding our retreat setting are ancient boulders arranged like sculptures and you can often see family groups of Langur monkeys taking a relaxing sunbath on them.