National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) (Lothal, Gujarat)

 

Latest Context

The National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) development project will be discussed during a meeting of the Central Government.

Facts about National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)

• At Lothal, Gujarat, the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) is now being developed.
• Under the SagarMala initiative, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways developed this.
• Features: The complex will have world’s the largest open aquatic gallery and the world's highest lighthouse museum.

• Additionally, it will contain a number of innovative and distinctive elements, including the Lothal miniature reconstruction of Harappan architecture and culture, as well as four theme parks: Memorial theme park, Maritime and Navy theme park, and Climate theme park.

• Significance:

• It will be a one-of-a-kind project that will showcase not just India's rich and diverse maritime heritage, but also assist Lothal in becoming a top-tier global tourism destination.
• The socio-economic condition of the entire region will change as a result of this initiative, which will also provide the local population numerous job opportunities.

• The Sagarmala Programme, introduced in 2015 by MoPSW, guarantees the building of a comprehensive port infrastructure throughout India's 7500 kilometres of coastline.
• It is supported via grants from the MoPSW and Ministry of Culture's National Culture Fund.

What is Lothal?

• In the Bhl area of what is now the state of Gujarat, Lothal was one of the Indus Valley civilization's furthest-southern settlements. It is thought that the port city was founded around 2,200 BC.
• "The mound of the dead" is the Gujarati meaning of Lothal, which is a mix of Loth and (s) thal.
•  In Sindhi, the name of the city Mohenjo-Daro, which was also a part of the Indus Valley Civilization and is currently in Pakistan, has the same meaning.
• A team led by archaeologist SR Rao found Lothal.
• Lothal served as a symbol of India's maritime power and prosperity. In ancient times, it was also a major trade center, with its commerce in beads, stones, and decorations reaching as far as West Asia and Africa.
• Additionally, it possessed the oldest dockyard ever discovered, which linked the city to a former Sabarmati River route.
• Lothal was proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, although UNESCO has not yet approved the candidature.
• Near the Gulf of Khambat, it is situated between the Bhogavo and Sabarmati rivers.
• The biggest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China resided in the IVC, also known as the Harappan Civilization.
•  Around 2,500 BC, it flourished in western South Asia, which is present-day Pakistan and northwest India.

 

 

 

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