The Hyderabad chapter of the FICCI Ladies Organisation recently embarked on an exciting journey, to the Ananda Spa in Uttarakhand. Rekha Lahoti, the chairperson of FLO, Hyderabad, had planned the trip well in advance. “The FLO members hardly knew each other and this retreat gave them a chance to bond. The idea was well received by all members. The 41 seats filled up immediately and there were 10 more on the waiting list.”
“There are over 500 members of FLO in Hyderabad but there is hardly any interaction between them. This trip helped the women bond and have a good time,” said Rekha, who organised the trip after five years.
The members bonded with each other over spa treatements at the resort. At Parmarth Ashram, they planted saplings and also saw the Ganga Aarti. Shilpi Arora, a FLO member from Delhi who went on the trip said, “It was a wonderful experience... be it the spa or the gala dinners. Everything was well organised by Rekha. We were the state’s guests for one day and that was a special feeling. The property is beautiful, it belongs to the royal family of Tehri.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat invited the group for high tea at his residence. Amidst talks of the state’s natural beauty, he also spoke about women’s empowerment and the lack of e-commerce in Uttarakhand and encouraged some tie-ups with Hyderabad.
Sujini Dundoo, member of the FLO said, “The Vedanta classes and yoga sessions were very calming.” Rekha added, “It needed extensive planning but the members participated in everything, making the trip a success.” Shilpi Arora said, “We went as a group of 41 members but came back as a family — our bond is so strong now. There was a Whatsapp group created for the purpose and now we don’t want it to be removed so that we can continue to be in touch with each other.”
