{"id":4984,"date":"2022-10-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/22-10-2022\/lothal-oldest-dock-in-the-world-to-get-heritage-complex\/"},"modified":"2022-10-22T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-10-22T00:00:00","slug":"lothal-oldest-dock-in-the-world-to-get-heritage-complex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-10-2022\/lothal-oldest-dock-in-the-world-to-get-heritage-complex","title":{"rendered":"Lothal, \u2018oldest dock in the world\u2019, to get Heritage Complex"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">Context<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Recently, the Prime Minister reviewed the construction of the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> site at <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Gujarat\u2019s Lothal <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">via video conferencing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>National Maritime Heritage Complex<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It has <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>four theme parks<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> \u2013 Memorial theme park, Maritime and Navy theme park, Climate theme park, and Adventure and Amusement theme park.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The National Maritime Heritage Complex will act as a centre for learning and understanding India&#8217;s diverse maritime history.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>About Lothal<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/rzIPzsvX5Fudl9BS2dA6NINdBVmp4y87UYqRDIB2EwQF5Ou-Pe_Va1INF2FUPO90hEH37cr0KPtmTwdanoav_RKcPjGHn63GcblFZA9xG5Wk9SR8I9fFzT0H1EahHheJbrGMsKY0wZU2wIwwRfUlbA90d3Jcu1MEQBaDdrEA0LIy-STWTiptyF3-RQ\" style=\"height:485.0; width:598.0\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Lothal was one of the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>southernmost sites of the Indus Valley civilization (IVC)<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The port city is believed to have been <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>built in 2,200 BC<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It was <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>located in the Bh?l region<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> of what is now the state of Gujarat.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Lothal was a major trading center of the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It was a <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>symbol of India\u2019s maritime power and prosperity<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">, as its trade of beads, gems and ornaments reached West Asia and Africa.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>The meaning of Lothal<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> (a combination of Loth and (s) thal) in Gujarati is \u201cthe mound of the dead\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Incidentally, the name of the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>city of Mohenjo-daro (<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">also part of the Indus Valley Civilisation, now in Pakistan) means the same in Sindhi.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Discovery of Lothal<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:48px\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"File:Lothal Plan.png - Wikimedia Commons\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/x4lGIjkr5HhQnRl8HYnHHDZNNUuvoT-CWiTt008GoG9TWBcmk2FI_vgQoGevDBmr0BiAKaAr7KXWuswrsohkxFxoBEsdVSvQdYu1k5Ppf6BOlASSN5NloBC0z9JRKtxkQCAbeeUOcy-nQOjpYAhZT5PMievau9S8J0T6wO_7oS-MFpdIHCxE24QgmQ\" style=\"height:399.0; width:416.0\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The search for cities of the Harappan Civilisation was started by the Indian archaeologists post-1947 in Gujarat\u2019s Saurashtra.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>A team led by Archaeologist SR Rao<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> discovered a number of Harappan sites including the port city of Lothal.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Excavation work was carried out in Lothal between February 1955 and May 1960.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> reports that Lothal had the world\u2019s earliest known dock connecting the city to an ancient course of t<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>he Sabarmati river.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>The National Institute of Oceanography in <\/strong><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/section\/cities\/goa\/\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Goa<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> discovered marine microfossils along with the salt, gypsum crystals at the Lothal site.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It indicates that sea water once filled the structure and it was definitely a dockyard.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>In later excavations<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">, ASI unearthed a mound, a township, a marketplace, and the dock.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>The archaeological site museum stands <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">adjacent to the excavated areas. It displays some of the most prominent collections of Indus-era antiquities in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Significance of Lothal<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Lothal was nominated as a<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> in April 2014 but its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The excavated site of Lothal is the only port-town of the Indus Valley Civilisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Town Planning<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">: Lothal was a metropolis with an upper and a lower town and on its northern side a basin with vertical wall, inlet and outlet channels which has been identified as a tidal dockyard.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Satellite images<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> show the river channel (now dried), would have brought in considerable volume of water during high tide, which would have filled the basin and facilitated sailing of boats upstream.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Port Functioning<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">: The remains of stone anchors, marine shells, sealings which trace its source in the Persian Gulf; together with the structure identified as a warehouse further aids the comprehension of the functioning of the port.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Heritage value<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> of the Lothal is comparable to other ancient port-towns around the world like- Xel Ha (Peru), Ostia (Port of Rome) and Carthage (Port of Tunis) in Italy, Hepu in China, Canopus in Egypt, Gabel (Byblos of the Phoenicians), Jaffa in Israel, Ur in Mesopotamia, Hoi An in Vietnam etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Regional Comparison<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">: In the region, it can be compared with other Indus port towns of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/about\/balakot-air-strike\/\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Balakot<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> (Pakistan), Khirasa (in Gujarat\u2019s Kutch) and Kuntasi (in Rajkot).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Additional excavation findings about Lothal:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Division of the Lothal city into citadel (upper town) and lower town shows existence of social\/class differentiation in Harappan society.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Planned urbanization<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">: Paved baths, civic amenities, drainage and water facilities, well planned streets etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Seals<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">: Lothal holds the third largest collection of seals and sealings, engraved on steatite, with animal and human figurines and undeciphered letters from the Indus script.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">These seals give ideas of material and cultural values, worship of fire and sea goddess etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-left:96px\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/nGNJcBtdSa4S38v4G7deK0LNSh7wLcPseo4CRuspThv5b1sxD3AcFpPsNd48HtC7TUTBBytZEH7jgm7ZJnk7ALGATvQn-NLxiM6ME9UD41-GGH_7Cm9d40s7zIvO3ySK-zxlgIcd9B69IPOw7-OHcLFXkCA9FK68TXW00AOEuC_KSO96KtPIgeqLXg\" style=\"height:338.0; width:487.0\" \/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Variety of burial methods.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-left:48px\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/kmwBUHm-KKtDcEQYyKMtReITcd7VB6Iavp-Cp3fSXxs1NiGs4FKVTM3GmDTmE2Vz0A6U6gk73Sbr2bPPowNP-Khtl2_xaAJ2CJC-OFAJut3pA6lMSzkWMTfxztlv_4VD-8KbIzcweJIEjZf5p3vs-XgxD9IDhsgaU3Ue4inLrPFaJgShLXfUhjVolA\" style=\"height:310.0; width:310.0\" \/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Beads: <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Lothal was famous for micro-beads that were made by rolling ground steatite paste on string, baking it solid and cutting with a tiny saw into the desired lengths.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Weights and Tools: <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Harappan culture represented a standardized and precise system of weights and measures, which is reflected in the local materials at Lothal.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">For example, beautiful designs of human and animal figurines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Pottery and earthenware:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-left:48px\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/tkrtPJUJizSbHWIdaV0-BeMpkNpFxtiAc8I_vJqhfG-nwGvksrftp7ET_L8vBpliXrFcq-WE4inHXZjJjzsZpCtLUPBFR0Tj0rshbYI-fGx26TsY_ktIyQ6bD4SUrxioBuBHB1iwAhuYQM2HqNPHTuDk5dsEwmQ6tZJzdpPDh7xgb4d3ofLvWwsYgA\" style=\"height:324.0; width:624.0\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>The National Maritime Heritage Complex<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Genesis and Cos<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">t: The project began in March 2022 and is being developed at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Innovative features<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Lothal mini-recreation<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">-which will recreate Harappan architecture and lifestyle through immersive technology<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Four theme parks<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> \u2013 Memorial theme park, Maritime and Navy theme park, Climate theme park, and Adventure and Amusement theme park.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>The world\u2019s tallest lighthouse museum <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">will be housed by the complex.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>India\u2019s maritime heritage<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> from the Harappan time till today, will be highlighted by the 14 galleries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>A coastal states pavilion<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> will display the diverse maritime heritage of Indian states and UTs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Way Forward:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal will act as a center for learning and understanding India\u2019s maritime history.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The NMHC is being developed with the aim of displaying India\u2019s diverse maritime heritage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It will also help Lothal emerge as a world-class international tourist destination.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">Source: TH<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Context Recently, the Prime Minister reviewed the construction of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) site at Gujarat\u2019s Lothal via video conferencing.\u00a0 National Maritime Heritage Complex It has four theme parks \u2013 Memorial theme park, Maritime and Navy theme park, Climate theme park, and Adventure and Amusement theme park. The National Maritime Heritage Complex will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[25],"class_list":["post-4984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs1"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2881420Screenshot_20221022-194007_Chrome.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4984"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4984\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}