The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways announced on Friday that it is developing a National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) as a tourist destination at Lothal under the Sagarmala programme. NMHC would be developed as a facility where the “maritime heritage of India from ancient to modern times would be showcased”, the ministry said.
Importance would be placed on using an educational and entertaining approach that utilises cutting-edge technology to raise awareness of India’s maritime heritage, it added.
The maritime complex will be a major tourist attraction, with the world’s tallest lighthouse museum, the world’s largest open aquatic gallery, and India’s grandest naval museum. The complex is expected to boost tourism in the region and contribute to economic development, the ministry said in a release.
The maritime complex is being developed at a cost of around Rs 4,500 crore. Construction work began in March 2022. The Ministry said that NMHC will have several innovative and unique features, such as a Lothal mini-recreation to recreate Harappan architecture and lifestyle and fourteen galleries highlighting India’s maritime heritage from the Harappan times to the present day.
The complex will also include four theme parks — memorial theme park, maritime and navy theme park, climate theme park, and adventure and amusement theme park. A coastal states pavilion displaying the diverse maritime heritage of India’s states and union territories will also feature in the complex, the ministry said.