National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)
- Context: India and the Netherlands signed a MoU to cooperate on the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat.
- NMHC is a flagship cultural and heritage project of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
- Aim: To showcase India’s 4,500–5,000-year-old maritime legacy through a world-class museum and cultural complex.
- Developed as India’s first comprehensive national institution dedicated exclusively to maritime heritage.
Significance of NMHC at Lothal:
- Showcases India’s 4,500-year-old maritime legacy.
- Part of the Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilization cultural landscape.
- Recognised for the discovery of the world’s earliest known man-made dockyard.
- The Lothal dockyard connected the settlement to ancient maritime trade routes linking Sindh, Saurashtra, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and beyond.
