Bindis is the local name for Okra, a bed of which I planted about three months ago. This is now almost two metres high and has been cropping almost continuously for the last six weeks. I have tried every possible way of cooking them, baked, stuffed, fried, steamed and sautéed in various sauces. The […]
The first of the Monsoon rains arrived at Basunti about ten days ago and since then it has been fairly consistent. Two to three days of hot and sticky weather, then a torrential downpour, accompanied by the usual spectacular sound and light show. This is nothing compared to what is happening in The Gharwal […]
As culturally diverse as the subcontinent is large, India’s northern realms offer stunning photographic opportunities for beginners and seasoned shooters alike. Join us in this very special photography exploration of the varied cultures, landscapes and cityscapes which together make this unspoiled region of India so unique.
Designed for beginners and experienced photographers alike, this […]
The gates to Basunti swung open to reveal an oasis, we were welcomed into its core through the lush gardens teeming with bustling bees, soaring bird song and trees weighed down with golden pomelos and tiny limes swinging from branches like strikingly green baubles. The last of the season’s chillies clinging to twigs […]
Making the decision to come to Basunti as a working guest was one of my finest decisions – if I say so myself. Being taken away from the cold dark snowy nights, dreary rain and grey skies you can imagine it was a hard choice. So upon arriving in India and making the journey […]
Basunti: a flower growing in northern India in the foothills of the Himalayas, and the name of the retreat centre chosen by Sheila for a two-week yoga course in March/April 2012. Built about five years ago by David Butterworth, the centre is described as of ‘modern Indian design with European plumbing’. It is simple, […]
Mashed potato has never tasted so good!
After a hard day’s work amongst beds in the vegetable garden, surely the most satisfying end is to dine on the fruits of your labour; and nothing whips up an appetite like many hours spent on a veranda that overlooks deliciously inviting rows of lettuce, spinach, beetroot, […]
Our second day at Basunti and it’s 8.30am, a temperate mist hangs over the garden but the stretch of mountains to the North are clear and crisp. The birds are washing themselves enthusiastically in the baths and Sumna pads across the veranda with warm chapatti’s and omelets for breakfast. It’s already 23 degrees when […]
I had the very great privilege of spotting what I first thought was a very large pair of Geese flying over Basunti. Something did not seem quite right, as the necks were to long and they seemed to be bigger than any Geese that I had seen before. Forgot about this sighting for a […]
Mentioning how well the vegetable garden was coming along in the last blog was definitely tempting fate. Woke up a couple of mornings later to find that most of the beds had been completely eaten and the rest thoroughly stomped on. During the night a big male Sambar had found his way onto the property […]
