Dede Sophie

It is the kind of place where peace, spirituality and lush nature go hand in hand. It is a place where prehistoric rock art, beautiful Hindu and Jain temples and a matha established by Sri Madhvacharya exist in close proximity to each other. It is the kind of place where life seems to move at a much slower pace. I am talking about Sonda or Sodhe, the lush temple village that is nestled amidst the Sahyadri mountains and is surrounded by the dense jungles of the Western Ghats. As a thumb rule, most tourists visit this village for the 13th century Sodhe Matha (also known as Sri Vadiraja Matha), one of the Ashta Mathas established by Sri Madhvacharya, the famous Dvaita philosopher. The main deities worshipped here are Lord Bhuvaraha, Lord Hayagriva and Sri Bhuta Raja. The brindavana of Swami Vadiraja Tirtha can also be found here. But, there is more to Sonda, than the Sodhe Matha. There is the Rama Trivikrama temple and stone chariot, built in Vijayanagara style, the Shankarnarayana templ

Amelanchier ovalis ‘Edelweiss’ Amelanchier ovalis is one of the slower growing species within the genus but is notable as an ornamental garden plant for its gorgeous blooms, in particular the ‘Edelweiss’ cultivar. Native to Central and Southern Europe, North Africa and Western Asia Amelanchier ovalis was introduced to European gardens in 1596 and has since become one of the most popular of all available Amelanchier forms. Amelanchier autumn colour Under favourable conditions you can expect Amelanchier ovalis ‘Edelweiss’ to grow between 3-4 metres height. It has an upright habit with ovate leaves. The leaves emerge dark green in colour but are white and woolly underneath which gives them an overall silvery effect. As the leaves mature the woolly growth disappears. Come the autumn the leaves will often provide a good show of colour turning to shades of orange, red and yellow before leaf drop. The large white flowers appear in April in clusters of 6 inch long panicles. Once pollinated sma