Dede Sophie

It is home to some of the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art. UNESCO calls them masterpieces of Buddhist religious art. I am talking about the rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments called Ajanta caves that is located about 120 kms from Aurangabad city in Maharashtra. Everything about Ajanta is mesmerizing. Be its U-shaped gorge along the meandering Waghore river with its umpteen waterfalls, its sheer engineering marvel, its acoustical capabilities or its creative oomph that one can experience through paintings, sculptures and carvings, it is a treat to the eyes and an experience of a lifetime. 30 caves, the oldest about 2200 years old, portraying stunning rock architecture with expressive paintings, pictorial tales and interesting sculpting beg to be explored. This photo essay is an attempt to give you a sneak peek into its diverse beauty. However, I would recommend that you see it in person to get the true experience. Above photo: One of Ajanta’s most iconic paintings, it dep

I love taking photos. Over the years, I have taken thousands. During that time, it has turned into something of a passion. I have been lucky enough to capture some wonderful images . Yet, I rarely get to enjoy them. Most of them are locked away on hard drives or they are on the cloud. That’s a real shame, so, today, I am going to share some ways you can get more out of your best travel photos. 1) Put them up around your home Top of the list is to get them printed out in a high-quality way and put them on display. For example, you could have a personalised picture collage created by a professional print firm. The prices are surprisingly reasonable, and the quality of the print is so good that it will look like a work of art. Large size canvas prints also look really good in your living room. 2) Invest in a few old school photo frames You could create several and categorize by theme. They also make good presents. Old-fashioned photo frames don’t cost much so you can also put a few on dis

If you happen to be strolling on Puri’s golden beach and come across a sand castle that is a work of beauty, you might have just stumbled across the work of India’s master sand artist and one of the best in the world. He is none other than Puri’s local boy, Sudarsan Pattnaik, who has been honoured with the Padma Shri and many other domestic and international awards and achievements. His work is so special that in itself it becomes a tourist attraction in Puri and one that you should experience on your Odisha holiday. Sudarsan Pattnaik builds such sand castles and art work on important festival dates and/or to celebrate an important person, landmark or event. The one in this article was built to highlight the rich culture of Odisha, an important campaign being run by Odisha tourism at that time. If you happen to in Puri on these days, you might be lucky to see the magic unfold up close and in real. And if you happen to be in Puri on other days, you could head to the open air Sudarsan S