The term food evokes, at once, reactions ranging from the most basic requirement of sustaining bodily energy, to meeting nuanced nutritional needs, to refined ways of satisfying the palate. Among various enriching life experiences, travel has emerged as a significant one in recent times; and currently, one catchword in the travel lexicon is experiential travel. […]
More Signs of Climate Change – The On/Off of Seasons
Following our last post announcing the onset of a premature summer, we went through one week of unbelievably extreme heat, which sent us cowering into the shade feeling sorry for ourselves ( even though our grounds were full of exhuberantly blooming flowers and we ought to have taken them as examples to emulate ). All […]
Climate Change Must Definitely Be Happening: A Prematurely Early Summer Has Set In
Just late last week we were still enjoying spring weather. And one of the things we were celebrating was the flowering for the first time ever – something that happens only in late spring – of our Red Silk Cotton Trees (see previous post). Every time we passed under these trees in the eastern court, […]
Treewatch: We Are Celebrating! Our Red Silk Cotton Trees Are Finally Blooming!
For the last eight years we have patiently watched our four Red Silk Cotton trees grow from saplinghood to adulthood. And every winter, when they shed their leaves, we have waited with excitement for the red flowers to emerge. But year after year, the signature red blooms have failed us. Everywhere else Red Silk Cotton […]
Birdwatch at Savista: The Spangled Drongo
Rarely sighted on the Indian subcontinent, we are lucky that this Spangled Drongo – also called the Blue Drongo – decided to appear fleetingly on the Savista lawns one September evening, where it was fortuitously captured in this photo by Hedda, our resident intern at the time. The Spangled Drongo has a glossy sheen […]
Jaipur Seasonal Change: The Short Summer is Here
Between the closure of the monsoons and the onset of autumn, the plains of India go through a four week period of humidity and heat, that has been nicknamed the ‘short summer’. Jaipur is no exception to this. The mornings and evenings remain pleasant, but the days have gone back to being hot and bright. […]
A Birthing at Savista
We recently welcomed the latest addition to the Savista community. Baiju – the latest lamb to be born at Savista – emerged from his mother Banu a few days ago at the pre-dawn hour of 4.30 am. We were jolted awake from our state of deep sleep by a single mighty yell, from a voice that […]
Greenwash and Whitewash: The Monsoon Draws to a Close at Savista
Our shrubbery and trees don’t get greener and brighter than this. Nor the haveli whiter and more dazzling! All washed and polished bright by the last rains of the season. And here comes a gent, in tan suit and black tie – or heavily mustachioed, depending on how you look at it – taking a […]
Ode to a Rajasthani Folk Legend: Tejaji
Today is celebrated as the Tejaji festival across rural Rajasthan, and everybody in the village where Savista is situated is looking forward to the procession this evening which will commemorate the life of this folk hero. Savista’s staff took off early from work. They will cook a festive dinner for their families which they will […]
BIRDWATCH: The Small Minivet
The Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus) is listed among the common birds of the Indian sub-continent. It is to be found everywhere in the country, wherever it can find its naturally preferred habitat of forests, groves, gardens and tree-dotted cultivation. It goes without saying that the one region where Small Minivets are not to be found […]
