Gallery 8

This gallery will exhibit various aspects of maritime trade and cultural elements (such as art, sculptures, architecture, temple designs, Epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat, Indian languages and scripts, etc.) of India spread over different Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and East Asian countries such as China, Korea and Japan through maritime contact. Both tangible and intangible heritage related to the cultural exchange and movement through maritime contact will be showcased.

This Gallery will display various coastal dynasties including later period kingdoms like Chola, Chera, Pandya, Pallava, Kshatrapa, Yadava, Paramara, Kadamba, Shilahara, Pala, Sena, Kakatiya, Vijaynagara, Chalukya, Solanki, Ganga, Sultanate and Mughal. Their social, cultural contacts with the outside world, hinterland trade routes, and export and import of items will be showcased.

This gallery will showcase the establishment of the Maratha Navy and development of sea forts by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and how successfully they protected the economic interests of India from the European powers. Various Maratha naval and merchant ships, naval strategies and successful expeditions carried out will also be showcased.

The arrival of Vasco-Da Gama at Kapukad (Kappat) near Calicut on 1498 CE and subsequent European powers such as Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, French, and English. Various artefacts related to the maritime contacts during this period will be displayed in this gallery. Also various infrastructural developments undertaken by these powers will be showcased.

Children will be able to use this gallery for various activities and hands-on learning experience. This gallery will create a fun, interactive, and educational space for children. The gallery will also provide children to create their own art inspired by the museum’s collection or theme. Children will be able to interact with experts and learn about specific subjects in an engaging and interactive way. This gallery will also host educational programs, workshops, and events targeted at children.

This gallery will showcase continuation of various traditional shipbuilding methods of India surviving from ancient times and the boatbuilding centres by certain communities in coastal areas of India will be represented. Traditional navigational techniques of India will be showcased in an immersive way. Various traditions and rituals related to this and life-style of the boat building and coastal communities will also be showcased.

The History and contribution of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, its varied activities, ports and organizations under MoPSW and their activities, exports and imports, transition from simple to sophisticated state-of-the-art technologies, etc. will be part of this gallery. Underwater activities such as Dredging, oil, gas and deep sea minerals exploration will be showcased. The Sagarmala project and the futuristic development undertaken by the Ministry will also be highlighted.