Context: In order to showcase the maritime heritage and history of India, a National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) will be developed in the Lothal region of Gujarat.

Key Points

• The Government of India has proposed to develop a National Maritime Heritage Complex to showcase and preserve India’s rich and diverse Maritime Heritage that will benefit the history, archaeological importance and international appreciation of Lothal as a place of extraordinary and unparalleled maritime heritage. 

The project includes creation of a National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal.

• It aim for establishment of a Museum that specializes in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on water.
• It also highlight the ancient ship building and navigational technologies towards which India has contributed well.

National Maritime Heritage Complex

• It is to note that the National Maritime Heritage Complex will be made within the ASI site of Lothal that is located 80 km away from Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
• The project, once completed, will be made an international tourist destination in India where people from across the countries can take a look at the maritime heritage of India from ancient to modern times.
• The government is aiming to showcase this via an edutainment approach where the latest technology would be adopted to spread awareness.
• The development will be done in an area expanding 400 acres.
• The complex will have many offerings including National Maritime Heritage Museum, Heritage Theme Park, and Light House Museum.

About Lothal

• Lothal was one of the southernmost cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization located in Gujarat.
• Construction of the city began around 2200 BCE.
• According to the ASI, Lothal had the world’s earliest known dock, which connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra.
• Lothal was a vital and thriving trade Centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems, and valuable ornaments reaching the far corners of West Asia and Africa.
• The techniques and tools they pioneered for bead-making and in metallurgy have stood the test of time for over 4000 years.
• The Lothal site has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO.