Authors and poets have written at length about inspiration. It’s the wings on which words and ideas penetrate their minds. To find a small but encouraging community of writers, artists and commentators under one roof, the organisers of Kumaon Literary Festival have been hosting art and cultural retreats since 2014. This year, with the assistance of Koral Dasgupta — author of the Sati series, they have put together a retreat in Te Aroha, a unique property sporting pre-owned furniture and art in Dhanachuli, Uttarakhand. Festival director Asha Batra shares, “While supporting art and literature, we also wanted to promote responsible tourism. The property boasts of a museum of Indian popular culture and has an auditorium which can seat 150 people.”

The boutique property allows participants to read in its calming corners