Museum tracking India’s 45 century old Maritime Heritage to be ready by 2028
In yet another interesting initiative to promote a different type of educational tourism, The National Maritime Heritage Complex, is being built in Lothal district of Gujarat. Lothal, as the archaeological excavations revealed, is the world’s oldest known artificial dock and hence holds prime significance. The city is currently enlisted for UNESCO World Heritage site due to its long time history of being a part of Indus Civilization and trade relations with Egypt dating back to 2400 BCE
The complex is set to resurrect India’s seafaring traditions and nearly three quarters of the first phase of this project has been completed. The first part will be open by AUgust 2025 and the entire project will be completed by 2028. Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways thinks that The Heritage Complex promises to be a platform for maritime education, and foster collaboration between India’s maritime community and the global industry.
He also added that building this complex is a crucial step toward resurrecting India’s ancient maritime history of more than 45 centuries ago.
The Government plans to build a museum and a cultural centre. To make the project more appealing, the ministry are looking to ink deals through MoUs with many countries and three of them-Philippines, Vietnam, and Portugal are already onboard. The MoUs invite International collaborations with other countries’ archaeological institutes and universities for joint excavations. They will also aid research and documentation of ancient maritime trade routes, hosting special exhibitions showcasing ancient trade routes, shipbuilding skillsets. The major focus however, would be highlighting the role of the maritime in shaping global civilisations, and especially India’s contribution to the maritime sector.
The anticipated footfall is 25000 visitors per day with a profile audience of tourists as well as archeological students, enthusiasts, and experts.
