Neptune Travco

25/12/2023

11/11/2023

Happy Deepawali 🪔

02/10/2023

Salemi, perched on a hill in the Belice Valley amidst the changing green of vineyards and olive groves, clusters around the Norman-Swabian Castle. The village, with its medieval feel, is located in the centre of the province of Trapani and is delightful with its polished streets of light-coloured stone.

29/09/2023

GIuliana

28/09/2023

Port of Palermo, Sicily

30/04/2023

My Son, Sanctuary, Vietnam(14 Apr 23)
My Son is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples in central Vietnam.
During the 4th to 13th centuries there was a unique culture on the coast of contemporary Vietnam, owing its spiritual origins to the Hinduism of India. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower temples in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence.
The tower temples were constructed over ten centuries of continuous development in what was the heart of the ancestral homeland of the ruling Dua Clan which unified the Cham clans and established the kingdom of Champapura (Sanskrit for City of the Cham people) in 192 CE
Archaeological Survey of India has completed the conservation and restoration work of A, H & K group of temples at UNESCO heritage site of My Son Sanctuary after five years of intricate and meticulous work on site.

16/04/2023

Had the honour of presenting book authored by me “ What Next? Recollections of an Inveterate Voyager” to Ms Lam Le, General Manager and Director of Business Development of Pilgrimage Village Boutique Resort & SPA, Hue, Vietnam

16/03/2023

25 Jan 23 Wayanad, the green paradise is nestled among the mountains of the Western Ghats, forming the border world of the greener part of Kerala. Clean and pristine, enchanting and hypnotizing, this land is filled with history and culture. Located at a distance of 76 km. from the sea shores of Kozhikode, this verdant hill station is full of plantations, forests and wildlife. Wayanad hills are contiguous to Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Bandhipur in Karnataka, thus forming a vast land mass for the wild life to move about in their most natural abode.

Wayanad district stands on the southern top of the Deccan plateau and its chief glory is the majestic Western Ghats with lofty ridges and rugged terrain interspersed with dense forest, tangled jungles and deep valleys. The place also enjoys a strategic location as the leading tourist centres of South India like Ooty, Mysore, Bangalore, Coorg and Kannur are situated around this region.

21/02/2023

24 Jan 23 Kappad beach, a tranquil setting for a relaxed getaway, is located about 16 km from Kozhikode town.
Kappad Beach has historically played an important role in the history of Kerala. On these shores, over 500 years ago on 20 May 1498, with three vessels and 170 men led by Vasco- da-Gama first stepped on Kappad Beach. A small stone monument commemorates the landing with the inscription “ Vasco-da-Gama landed here Kappakadavu in the year 1498.” The entire State, especially the Malabar Coast, would never be the same again.

The spice route flourished through this Beach. A walk in and around the place gives one an idea of its historical relevance. The rocks and small hills add to its charm. The nearby shacks are always stocked with excellent local delicacies and tea. Kappad Beach is a truly majestic destination, which will always hold an important place in our history. It has a beautiful park along the coast where a lot of visitors can be seen including school children picnicking.

-da-gama

18/02/2023

Hutheesing Jain Temple, Ahmedabad: The construction of the temple was initiated originally planned by Hatheesing Kesarising, a wealthy trader of Ahmedabad who died at the age of 49. The construction was supervised and completed by his third wife Shethani Harkunwar. The total cost was approximately ₹10 lakh and construction was completed in 1848 AD. The chief temple architect was Premchand Salat.The temple is located outside the Delhi Darwaza. The temple was built during a severe famine in Gujarat. Building the temple employed hundreds of skilled artisans which supported them for a period of two years. Salat has blended the old temple architecture style with new architectural elements of in designing the temple. It uses the Māru-Gurjara style, with many similarities to Bhadreshwar and Ranakpur. The temple is built from white marble.

14/02/2023

Sarkhej Roza is a mosque, tomb and palace complex dedicated to the memory of Ahmed Shah I’s spiritual advisor, Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh. The elegant, though dilapidated, buildings cluster around a great tank, constructed by Sultan Mahmud Begada (Shah’s grandson) in the mid-15th century. It’s an atmospheric place that was used as a retreat by several of Ahmedabad’s rulers. The mausoleums of Mahmud Begada (by the entrance, with geometric jalis casting patterns of light on the floor) and Ganj Baksh (the largest in Gujarat) are both here. The place has a cheery communal feel with locals picnicking in its large courtyard.
Shaikh Ahmed Khattu Ganj Bakhsh was a friend and adviser of Ahmad Shah I, the ruler of the Gujarat Sultanate from 1411 until his death in 1442. Bakhsh retired to Sarkhej in the last few years of his life and died here in 1445. Muhammad Shah II, the successor of Ahmed Shah I, commissioned a tomb for Sheikh Bakhsh which was completed in 1451.

13/11/2022

Baria Cup 12 Nov 22