National Maritime Heritage Complex, Lothal

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National Maritime Heritage Complex:

National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) is important for UPSC Prelims Exam and also GS Paper 1 of the UPSC Mains Exam.

National Maritime Heritage Complex

Recently, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi reviewed the work in progress at the site of the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, Gujarat with the help of a drone via video conferencing.

About: National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal is being developed as a one-of-its-kind project to display India’s rich and diverse maritime heritage.
- The foundation stone for the NMHC project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the consent for the master plan was given in March 2019.
Associated Ministry: National Maritime Heritage Complex, Lothal is being built under overall supervision and guidance of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
- also help Lothal to emerge as a world-class international tourist destination.
Cost: National Maritime Heritage Complex is being built with total cost of 3500 crore rupees.

National Maritime Heritage Complex will have several innovative and unique features such as-
- Lothal mini recreation to recreate Harappan architecture and lifestyle,
- Four theme parks –
  - Memorial theme park,
  - Maritime and Navy theme park,
  - Climate theme park, and
  - Adventure and Amusement theme park.
It will also house following among others-
- the world’s tallest lighthouse museum,
- Fourteen galleries highlighting India’s maritime heritage starting from the Harappan times till today,
- A Coastal states pavilion displaying the diverse maritime heritage of states and UTs.

National Maritime Heritage Complex will help Lothal to emerge as a world-class international tourist destination.
A maritime heritage complex in Lothal is a fitting tribute to the city’s historical legacy and heritage.
National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal will act as a centre for learning and understanding of India’s diverse maritime history.
The boost to the tourism potential through this project will also augment the economic development of the region.

Background: Lothal was one of the southernmost sites of the ancient Indus Valley civilisation, located in the modern state of Gujarat.
- Construction of the city is believed to have begun around 2200 BCE.
- The excavation started from 13 February 1955 to 19 May 1960 by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to unearth the ancient city.
- Archaeologists believe that the city was a part of a major river system on the ancient trade route from Sindh to Saurashtra in Gujarat.
About: Lothal was one of the prominent cities of the Harappan civilization and is known for the discovery of the oldest man-made dockyard.
Location: Lothal is situated in Gujarat; on Bhogva river near the Gulf of Cambay.
Key Findings: Following are the key findings from Lothal Harappan Site-
- Port Town
- Graveyard
- Ivory weight balance
- Copper dog
- First manmade port
- Dockyard
- Rice husk
- Fire alters
- Chess-playing
Significance: Artefacts suggest that trade from Lothal may have been conducted with Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia.
- An entire township with market and dock has been unearthed here.