Somewhere where the protected jungles of the popular Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra spill over into the lesser-known Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, there stands a small village called Gothangaon. Clusters of humble dwellings nestle among lush fields, lily ponds, and forested patches. The original village lies submerged a little way off—flooded by a nearby dam. All that remains are a few abandoned remnants and the solitary Gosai Baba temple perched high on a rock, just beyond the reach of the waters.
It’s here that we found ourselves, barefoot on the ancient stone floor, on the last day of a unique ‘Wilderness Wellness’ residency by Siddhayu Wellness Experience, from the House of Baidyanath. We stepped into the small, cave-like altar one by one—there wasn’t room for all eight of us—offered our prayers, and quietly filed out. Outside, the ground was still damp with morning dew, and the air hummed with a soothing stillness. Birds called, leaves rustled, and we spoke only in hushed whispers.
At one point, our immersion mentor, Anoopama Mukerjee Lohana, COO and Experiential Wellness Director of Siddhayu Wellness Experience, invited us into an impromptu prayer and meditation circle. No structure, no script. Just a group of friends, sitting cross-legged on the temple grounds under a clear blue sky, surrounded by forest and fields, offering up whatever flowed from the heart—Gayatri Mantra, Ik Onkar, a hymn to Jesus. When it ended, we remained seated in silence. Not just stillness, but presence—of each other, the forest around us, and our own selves. For me, those moments held the essence of the journey: a quiet unravelling, a soft letting go, and a return to the clarity I had come seeking four days ago.
The journey had begun with an early morning flight from Delhi to Nagpur, followed by a winding drive through the changing landscapes of Maharashtra—flat green fields giving way to dense forest. We were headed to the Bamboo Forest Safari Lodge, tucked along the buffer zone of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, the first of two destinations where Siddhayu, the experiential wellness partner, leads the Wilderness Wellness retreats. By the time we arrived, the sun was high, and the forest felt alive with cicadas buzzing, trees heavy with shade, and the narrow path beyond the lodge gate disappearing into a thick bamboo grove.
The resort is stunning in a quiet, unshowy way—wood, stone, earth tones, and a calm that seeps in as soon as you arrive. Our villas were spacious and thoughtfully designed: polished concrete floors, warm lights, a bed that looked out onto the wild, and an open-to-sky bath space with a freestanding tub. The lake the lodge overlooked had run dry for the season, but the view was still framed by golden grass and distant trees. Inside, comfort never distracted from the wilderness just outside the door. You didn’t feel removed from nature, you felt folded into it.
We were welcomed with a traditional aarti, tilak, tulsi mala, and a refreshing detox drink. After a quick briefing, check-in and brunch—still regular at this point, the wellness menu yet to begin—we were led to the earthy spa. Designed like village mud huts with stone floors, sloping tiled roofs, and Ayurveda symbols on the walls, it felt instantly grounding. Smiling therapists greeted us with the Sanskrit Swasti, “May you be well,” before beginning our Mrdukarna Signature Therapy. This post-travel ritual combining herbal ghee marma point massage, reflexology, and gentle fomentation is meant to ease fatigue and prepare the body’s energy channels for the days ahead.
A short rest later, we met Dr. Nitin Awasthi, the chief Ayurvedacharya, for Nadi Pariksha—an Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis to understand our dosha prakriti (body, mind, spirit constitution). The therapies and meals to follow would be shaped around this. As dusk fell, we gathered for a detox high tea where bhel was made with millets, ragi cookies replaced biscuits, and herbal teas stood in for coffee. Later, on the forest floor, we sat in a sharing circle, where our mentor Anoopama gently nudged us to share stories and set intentions for the journey ahead.
Dinner that night was a mindful feast—hyperlocal, gut-friendly, dosha-specific—crafted to engage Shada Rasa, or all six senses, and bring the body into balance. Afterward came a mindful silence practice: Shatapauli, a slow walk of 100 steps under the night sky. Back in our villa, the day ended with an in-room Ratricharya ritual—a soothing night tea and a few drops of SWA Santulan Nabhi Oil massaged into the navel, inviting deep sleep.
The next morning began early, with bio shots at dawn, followed by guided jal neti—a yogic cleansing practice to flush the nasal passages with warm saline water—and oil pulling, an Ayurvedic ritual of swishing oil in the mouth to draw out toxins. Outside, rain pattered softly as we moved into gentle yoga and breathwork, leaving us both grounded and energised. Breakfast was hearty yet light—millet poha, spinach idlis, and a ragi pancake drizzled with jaggery syrup.
My first therapy of the day was a deeply relaxing potli massage, prescribed according to my dosha type and pain points. Lunch came as a vibrant Buddha bowl—grains, vegetables, and a sauce tailored to balance my constitution. The rest of the day followed a similar relaxed flow as the first: a siesta, some reading, a pranayama session, a tridosha-balancing dinner, and the mindful night rituals.
The following morning began even earlier—before the first light—and this was when the “wilderness” in Wilderness Wellness truly came alive. Unlike most wellness retreats, this one by Siddhayu weaves in the thrill of adventure, with a safari into the heart of Tadoba National Park. At dawn, the forest was hushed and luminous, the air thick with the scent of damp earth. We spotted a host of birds and a herd of deer grazing in a clearing.
We were almost ready to accept that the big cat might elude us when he appeared. One of Tadoba’s largest and most dominant male tigers, Xylo is a rockstar of the forest, ruling territories across Madnapur, Belara, Kolara, and Palsgaon. At around seven years old, he’s all muscle, swagger, and pure wild magic. We were the first to spot him that morning and spent 20 uninterrupted minutes in his presence, watching as he strode through the forest with the easy authority of a king. It felt like the perfect punctuation mark in our wellness journey—a reminder to slow down, loosen our grip on control, and surrender to the surprises of the universe.
After a packed breakfast in the forest, we made our way to Gothangaon for a night at the Bamboo Forest Nature Conservancy—India’s first and only luxury, nature conservation-centric hospitality and wellness destination, right inside a tiger reserve. Ten elevated “luxury nests” are built seamlessly into the forest canopy of the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, offering worldly comforts while wildlife roam freely below.
On arrival, we were greeted with tales of Gothangaon’s celebrity tigress, F2, who had wandered through the property just the afternoon before. Since there are no fences or walls—deliberately, to keep the ecosystem whole—guards escort guests everywhere, armed with a stick and a whistle. One such guard walked me to my nest, reminding me to call reception for an escort anytime I wished to step out. The nests themselves are expansive, with a king-sized bed, generous bedroom, sleek bathroom with both shower and bathtub, and a balcony opening out to sweeping jungle views, so close you can almost feel it breathing.
Our second Ayurvedic therapy awaited—a continuation of the treatments that had begun at Tadoba, with the same therapists travelling from there to ensure familiarity and trust. Lunch was a sumptuous traditional Maharashtrian thali, followed by rest before we gathered on the terrace of the main building for a sound bath meditation.
The session was led by Anoopama herself, who, beyond her many roles at Siddhayu Wellness, is also an internationally accredited sound and somatic healing alchemist. Under the night sky, with the forest stretching unbroken around us, she guided us through conscious breathwork, the deep vibrations of singing bowls and gongs resonating through the body. The energy was so powerful that I felt an almost seismic release—waves rising inside me until they broke in a long-overdue weeping spell. Anoopama encouraged me to let it flow, to let the body and spirit clear what it had carried for too long.
Dinner that night was lighter—in the food, and in the energy of the group. We seemed softer, happier, healthier. Afterward, we lingered, sharing reflections before the conversation dissolved into spontaneous singing and poetry, voices rising into the night air like offerings back to the forest that had held us.
By the next morning, that sense of release had settled into something deeper—a quiet, steady presence we carried with us to the temple. And there, barefoot on the cool stone floor, in that final prayer circle under a clear blue sky, it felt as though the whole journey had come to rest. The forest, the wellness rituals, the wild encounters, the laughter and the tears—all folding into one perfect moment of stillness. A reminder that healing doesn’t always arrive with fanfare; sometimes it’s just the soft knowing that you’ve found your way back to yourself.
The nearest airport is Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur. From there, Tadoba is approx. 2–3 hours by road, and Gothangaon is about 1.5-2 hours away.
Bamboo Forest Safari Lodge in Tadoba: https://www.bambooforest.in/safarilodgetadoba
Bamboo Forest Nature Conservancy in Gothangaon: https://www.bambooforest.in/natureconservancygothangaon
The 'Wilderness Wellness' package by Siddhayu Wellness Experience starts at INR 35,000 per person per night, taxes extra. It includes Nadi Pariksha, tailored Ayurvedic therapies, yoga and other immersive sessions, wellness gourmet meals, luxury villa stay on double occupancy, and wildlife safaris.
