Chandoori Sai Guest House, Orissa. India

30/11/2025

24/10/2025

Hi Tereza

09/10/2025

Roof tiles being made and burnt, Then the thousands of floor tiles which was a harrowing experience learning by trial and error from scratch for all of us. No YouTube then either.
The problem is with drying them as if it is not done correctly and slowly they warp and crack due to the edges drying and shrinking before the centre. They shrink around 5% or a little more during the drying process.
Drying is a very slow and labour intensive process that takes about 2 weeks moving them around the building morning and afternoon to keep them in the shade before being almost 100% moisture free so they can cook without exploding and breaking. The end result was worth it though.

07/10/2025

Fields of yellow glowing in the afternoon sun.

06/10/2025

We have had a long rain season this year with heavy showers such as in this photo which was taken a few years ago.
Hopefully the weather will clear up a bit soon so we can re do the walls in the traditional way using mud and natural local ochres for our colours.
After a noticeably warmer winter we have had regular rain from April increasing in frequency through into the rain season. Because of this we never had any hot dry weather through the spring and summer which is unusual, as are the recent intense weather events elsewhere in India this rain season, especially in the lower Himalayan states.
We are fortunate where we are as it is hilly countryside so the water drains pretty quickly from the hillsides, through the gullies into the streams all converging into the rivers causing flooding further downstream in the flatter areas.

25/09/2025

It's been a little time since the last post and during that time we have had a lot of rain but nothing like the northern states in the Himalayas. Here it is just wet and green which is rather soothing and lazy weather and great for sitting relaxing on the verandahs eating and sipping on freshly ground coffee only broken with walks around the valley during sunny breaks.
It has been an extended monsoon season and maybe a week or more of the unsettled weather. I think we do get some residual effects of the cyclones barrelling into the Philippines and across China which seem to develop into low pressure storms in the Bay of Bengal a few days later,
But anyway here are a couple of photos with our thanks to Oren Schuldinar taken during their family visit last winter.
As you can see from their photos the days are mostly fresh, bright and sunny with crisp nights.

03/09/2025

After a week without a computer due to me formatting the operating system instead of an external hard drive my PC is back in action. Being where we are and the lack of availability through distance of many required items it takes usually a week and longer through Amazon or if urgent it is a 200klm (5hr) trip winding through the mountains down into Andhra Pradesh then on to Visakhapatnam, then back again the next day.
In a few??? months time allegedly, this trip will be less than 2 hours each way due to a new limited access highway (tollway) nearing completion between Visakhapatnam and Raipur in Chattisgargh, passing within 30klms of Chandoori Sai. This will also make getting onward the other way to Kotpad for hand-loom textiles in Odisha and further to Chitracoot Falls in the Bastar districts of Chattisgargh or Jagdalpur airport for those coming and going to Hyderabad all within easy reach of us for our guests.
A new domestic/international airport for Visag is also nearing completion about 50klm nearer to us than the present airport which is within the Visakhapatnam city precincts. It is due to come into service early next year also therefore making flying into and out of Visag a much more viable and comfortable option for our guests.
Anyway, to the photo where the girls are shaping fafale pasta, which is very easy and quick for them to make. They also make gnocchi and ravioli using various local greens that grow wild in different sections of the garden for the ravioli. They also like the pasta but with a local fiery touch to their sauce which is more of a curry sauce than anything else.
During and after the rain season there are all sorts of leafy vegetables and weeds sprouting wild to be gathered and cooked as necessary part of the traditional adivasi diet.

22/08/2025

The general topography of our area taken from a helicopter during a dryer time of the year. The morning haze is accentuated when looking toward the morning sun.

16/08/2025

During the monsson, every now and then the sky clears up to say hello.

14/08/2025

Perfect for an afternoon nap during the monsoon courtesy of a thoughtful shop owner in nearby Damanjodi.

07/08/2025

Thanks for these great photos you took when you were here Shikha, The painting that you and Poonam did on the cottage has faded almost into oblivion and needs a touch up. The kingfisher or its offspring still sits on the roof corner every sunrise searching the lawn for movement looking for grasshoppers etc for its offspring's breakfast.