Since ancient times the majestic Kumaon Himalayas in the north Indian state of Uttrakhand has been a preferred place for Yoga, meditation and other spiritual austerities. Justifiably, the Kumaon Himalaya is popularly referred to as the “Devbhumi” or the abode of Gods! Being a Yoga practitioner myself, I had this long cherished desire to visit the Kumaon Himalayas and Oh God! Aren’t they awe-inspiring? To explore the rarefied beauty of the Kumaon region, I choose the quaint hill station of Almora, also popularly referred to as the “Cultural Capital of Kumaon” as my base. Almora is beautifully perched at an altitude of 1642 m and I must confess, the profundity of the jaw dropping Himalayan peaks touches you immensely. In this part of the world, there is no crass commercialism of the Tourism phenomenon. Almora has somehow managed to remain obscure, laidback and un-hyped.

"The best things in life are the people we love, the places we have been and the memories we make along the way”; If that be so, the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, popularly referred to as “Devbhumi” or the abode of Gods is indeed at the forefront, positioning itself as “New India’s” ultimate Wellness Tourism hotspot. The concept of building Villas with wood as the primary material is the new buzz. Although, wooden villas are commonplace in US, Canada and most of Europe, it hasn’t been as popular in India, due largely to the climatic conditions (tropical), prohibitive forestry laws and outdated sawmills; in spite of being blessed with century’s old rich legacy of wooden craftsmanship that were patronised by the Maharajas of yore.