PLACES IN NEWS 19th SEPTEMBER 2025

1. Lothal

Why in the News?

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Lothal, Gujarat on 20th September 2025 to review the progress of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC).
2. He will inspect completed works and hold review meetings with officials regarding ongoing projects.

About Lothal

1. Historical and Geographical Context
   1. Located on the Bhogava River, in the Gulf of Khambhat (Gujarat).
   2. Flourished between 2400–1600 BCE as part of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC).
   3. Name derived from Gujarati words Loth (mound) + thal (dead) = “mound of the dead.”
   4. Excavated in 1954 by S.R. Rao (ASI).
   5. Southernmost major site of the IVC, with links to Sindh, Saurashtra, Mesopotamia, and Africa.
2. Urban Planning and Architecture
   1. Town Planning: Divided into Citadel (Upper Town) and Lower Town.
   2. Citadel: Built on 4m high mud-brick platforms. Contained a warehouse for storage.
   3. Lower Town: Residential settlement, bead-making factory, and dockyard.
   4. Flood Protection: Entire settlement enclosed by a brick fortification wall.
   5. Advanced Engineering: Use of mud-brick platforms, drains, and tidal dock system.
3. Maritime Trade and Dockyard
   1. Dockyard:
      1. World’s earliest known tidal dockyard (~200m × 35m).
      2. Equipped with sluice gate and spill channel to regulate water levels.
   2. Strategic Location: Situated near ancient Sabarmati River course, ensuring sea access.
   3. Trade Networks: Connected with Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Africa.
   4. Exports: Beads, ornaments, gems, semi-precious stones, cotton, rice.
   5. Imports: Marine shells, stone anchors, seals (including from Persian Gulf).
   6. Economic Role: Functioned as a major emporium of Harappan trade.
4. Archaeological Findings
   1. Crafts and Industry:
      1. Bead-making, shell-working, metallurgy, ornaments.
      2. Famous for agate, carnelian, jasper, steatite micro-beads.

• Used Cire Perdue (lost-wax technique) for metal casting.

1. Science & Technology:
   1. Discovery of a compass (for navigation and astronomy).
   2. Ivory scale with smallest decimal divisions in IVC.
2. Seals & Pottery:
   1. 3rd largest collection of seals among IVC sites.
   2. Seals show bulls, tigers, goats, composite animals with inscriptions.

• Pottery: Redware (common use) and Blackware (decorative/finer use).

1. Terracotta & Toys: Figurines, wheeled animal toys, gaming pieces (like chess).
2. Religion & Burials:
   1. Fire altars suggest worship of a fire god.
   2. Animal worship was evident, unlike other IVC sites where Mother Goddess was dominant.

• Burials lined with burnt bricks, including twin burials and pot burials.

5. Significance and Legacy
   1. Economic Importance: Acted as a hub of maritime trade and craft specialization.
   2. Cultural Diversity: Differences in religious practices show regional variation in IVC beliefs.
   3. Agricultural Significance: Excavations revealed earliest rice cultivation evidence in South Asia.
   4. Engineering Marvel: Dockyard proves advanced hydrological knowledge and maritime technology.
   5. Modern Relevance: Site for the upcoming National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)—set to be the world’s largest maritime museum.

2. Chabahar Port

Why in the News?

1. The S. Trump administration has announced the revocation of sanctions waiver for Iran’s Chabahar Port, ending the special exemption granted to India in 2018.
2. This decision threatens to hamper India’s regional connectivity plans, particularly its trade routes to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan.
3. India has invested heavily in the port, and the sanctions could significantly affect its economic and strategic interests.

About Chabahar Port

1. Location: Situated in southeastern Iran, along the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz.
2. Structure: Includes the Shahid Beheshti Terminal, where India is involved in development.
3. Strategic Importance for India: Provides an alternative route to Afghanistan and Central Asia by bypassing Pakistan.
4. Connectivity Projects: Linked to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and other regional connectivity initiatives.
5. India’s Investment: India signed a 10-year lease agreement in May 2024 and has already spent about ₹200 crore out of ₹400 crore allocated for its development.
6. Operational Growth: The port saw a 43% rise in vessel traffic and a 34% increase in container traffic in 2023-24.
7. Geopolitical Value: Considered a counterbalance to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, which is developed by China.
8. Challenges:S. sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA) may now deter operators and investors, impacting India’s role in the project.