Symphony of Swara Retreat

It was the last week of May, my father and I were travelling back from Baglung to Pokhara. We were trying to avoid the main city of Pokhara and opted for a quieter area. Our original plan was to go to Dhampus; however, some beautiful buildings on a lush green terrace caught our attention while we were in Astam, an uphill place closer to Pokhara. It was the Swara Retreat.

We entered the Retreat initially thinking it was a hotel; however, much to our surprise and delight, it was a confluence of nature and meditation retreat. Upon entering, we were greeted by the calming nature of the retreat itself. On two sides, it was covered by magnificent green and thick forest and hills, and mountains upward, while on one side,  all we can hear is the melancholy of the flowing river.

As the word retreat suggests, this was the perfect place to escape the bustling noise of our day-to-day lives.

When we entered the Swara Retreat, we were greeted by Mr. Ganesh Poudel, someone I found exciting to converse with. He had deep
knowledge of  philosophy,  This was obvious when he started talking about it and sharing his knowledge on the subject, soon after our
brief introduction. What fascinated me the most was the way he was able to take something as normal and at the same time explaining its vastness.  You just mention your name, and he will go deep into its various meanings , and what it means in the context of life.

Talking to him more, I found an intense level of viewpoint. Mr. Poudel did never  attend a conventional school. He studied Sanskrit in Gurukul , and lived as a Bramhachhari,  as per the norms and tradition, till finishing studies.

He later pursued  acquired knowledge on Buddhism. Then he journeyed around to different academies, universities,  institutions, and corporate houses around India and other parts of the world to expand his knowledge.  He taught yoga in different parts of the world before settling here in Nepal. He told me that he was fond of travelling and experiencing new things.

As I checked the Swara Retreat website (https://swararetreat.com), I found out that Mr. Ganesh holds an M.A. in Sanskrit and Vedic Philosophy from Banaras Hindu University.  With profound knowledge and sharp wits, he could explain things and correlate them with things around meaningfully.

I met Ms. Iing Loo, his wife, an architect trained and practicing in the UK; however, she decided to change her path.  She designed the structures and landscapes of the Swara Retreat; however, economic constraints came in the way of her grand plan to develop it as planed
originally.

Ms. Iing is also very keen on literature, which raised my curiosity. I listened to her, talked about her interests in books, and to my
surprise, she and I shared  similar interest when it came to childhood books. Originally from Malaysia, Ling chose to stay in Nepal as she wanted to be closer to the  Mountains, her love.

As someone who always had a thing for serene ambience, the Swara Retreat appears  truly a gift of eternal creation.  The rooms are set in a cozy and aesthetically pleasing and environment friendly.  It has a  huge yoga (meditation) room and a small bamboo swing on its side, overlooking the garden and greenery. Every one in the center I met was like a family member.

Interestingly, Ms. Iing, while developing Swara Retreat, scripted all her experiences, which will soon be published in the form of a book. I am keenly waiting to collect the book with her autograph, where I believe she must have beautifully written her journey to Swara since 2019.

With this amazing experience, I conclude by citing the last paragraph  of the ‘Love Letter’ from Swara Retreat addressed to its guests.

Now, with hearts ablaze, let’s embark on a grand adventure,

Hand in hand, protecting this land we’ll nurture.

Grateful for your understanding and fervent zest,

Together, with memories, we’ll weave the best.

(The author is a  Grade 9 student of Nisarga Batika School, Kathmandu.)