National Maritime Heritage Complex: Lothal

Why in news ?

The Ministry of Culture (MoC) and Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for ‘Cooperation in Development of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)’ at Lothal, Gujarat.

About:

• NMHC will be developed in Lothal region of Gujarat.
• It would be developed as an international tourist destination, where the maritime heritage of India from ancient to modern times would be showcased.
  • The idea is to create an edutainment (education with entertainment) approach for this destination that would be of great interest for the visitors.
• It is going to cover an area of 400 acres, with structures such as Heritage Theme Park, National Maritime Heritage Museum, Lighthouse Museum, Maritime Institute, eco-resorts, and more.
• There will also be many pavilions where all coastal states in India and union territories can showcase their artifacts and maritime heritage.
• The unique feature of NMHC is the recreation of ancient Lothal city, which is one of the prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization.