Dede Sophie

I don’t know why the Kailasa temple at Ellora is not one of the seven wonders of the world. It’s excavation, carving and stature is unparalleled in the whole world. After all, it is the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world. Ellora caves is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world. Dating from the 6th century CE, this UNESCO World Heritage site houses monuments and artwork is dedicated to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Like I mentioned in my earlier photo essay article on Ajanta Caves, the 2200 year old rock cave wonder , photographs don’t allow you to experience the magnitude of its magnificence and size, but it still gives you a good idea about one of India’s best heritage sites. The idea is to give you a sneak peek into the rich architecture, stunning sculptures, gorgeous carvings and inhuman excavation capabilities of Ellora caves through this photo essay. I hope it takes you on a virtual tour through one of Incredible India’s rich

Late August and early September, I embarked on a 10 day monsoon motorcycle ride through the Western Ghats of India. I had gone on a couple of day rides to lesser known Hoysala temples after the lockdown, but this was my first long trip since 22nd March. And boy was I happy! Monsoons happen to be my favorite season of the year. I love the rains, the freshness in the air, the lush green views, the richness of ecosystem and most important of all, I love getting wet. And what better place to enjoy the monsoons than the Western Ghats. My 2000 kms motorcycle ride took me to the following places in the Western Ghats of Karnataka over 10 days. There was a lot of walking, trekking, getting wet, eating traditional foods and sleeping to petrichor in between all the motorcycle rides. 1) Sirsi – Yellapur region: Unchalli Falls , Magod Falls , Sathodi Falls , Bilihole Falls , Sonda Vadiraj Mutt 2) Kumta region: Devimane Ghat, Mirjan Fort 3) Karavali coast: Maravanthe Beach , Kota, Kallu Ganapati

Sago Palms or Cycads – Cycas revoluta are a fantastic choice for the tropical effect, cold hardy, exotic garden. However there are a few mistakes you need to avoid when planting or potting them on. In this video English horticulturist Simon explains what you need to know to get the best performance out of this wonderful plant. One of the first things to know is that the Sago palm requires a slightly acidic compost, and that the compost itself need to be well draining as cycads can be susceptible to soil borne fungal infections. Most cycads are sold as either houseplants or kept under cover outside which means the foliage is grown fairly soft which can put this plant at risk when placed directly into a position that receives full sun. If you would like to see more content like this then check out our YouTube channel ‘Walking Talking Gardeners’. It is absolutely free to subscribe to and you can unsubscribe instantly at anytime. Don’t for get that you can click onto the notification ‘bell