Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Couple Leave City Careers to Build Nature Retreat in Uttarakhand
Mahima and Rashmikant Jha went to the mountains for a few months while working remotely.
They liked the slower life so much that they decided to stay.
They left their city jobs and opened a small retreat called Shoonya in Uttarakhand.
Instead of building lots of rooms, they made places where guests can talk, read, watch the stars, and enjoy nature.
They have also planted more than 200 trees and reuse water and compost.
More than 1,200 people have visited since the retreat opened.
The couple want guests to slow down and spend time with each other and the natural world.
They are not rushing to expand the retreat.
After a three-month remote-work stay in Mukteshwar in early 2023, NIFT graduates Mahima and Rashmikant Jha decided to remain in the mountains.
The couple left their corporate jobs in late 2023 and opened Shoonya in Letibunga village in April 2024.
They leased and adapted an existing property, prioritising shared spaces and nature experiences over building more guest rooms.
Shoonya has planted more than 200 trees, reuses greywater for irrigation, composts organic waste and has rainwater storage capacity of 80,000 to 90,000 litres.
Since opening, the retreat has hosted more than 1,200 guests and recorded nearly 3,000 guest nights.
- Who
- Mahima and Rashmikant (RK) Jha, NIFT graduates who founded Shoonya.
- What
- They left corporate jobs to create and run a small nature-led retreat.
- When
- They came to the area in early 2023, left their jobs in late 2023, and opened Shoonya in April 2024.
- Where
- Letibunga village near Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand.
- Why
- Their three-month remote-work stay changed how they thought about city life and the future they wanted; they hoped to offer guests a place to slow down and reconnect.
- Retreat name
- Shoonya
- Location
- Letibunga village near Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand
- Founders
- Mahima and Rashmikant (RK) Jha
- Opened
- April 2024
- Property size
- Half an acre
- Trees planted
- More than 200 additional trees
- Rainwater capacity
- Between 80,000 and 90,000 litres
- Guests and stays
- More than 1,200 guests and nearly 3,000 guest nights since launch