MARITIME HERITAGE DAY (INDIA'S MARITIME CONNECTIONS & SHARED CIVILIZATIONAL LEGACY)
The Maritime Heritage Day, with the theme “India’s Maritime Heritage & Shared Civilizational Legacy”, organized as part of India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025, is an initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) to celebrate and showcase India’s glorious maritime legacy and its enduring civilizational connections across the seas.
The day will begin with a grand Operatic Dance Drama – Ksheer Sagara Amṛta Manthana: The Churning of the Ocean, presented by Padma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh and Shri N. Ravikiran. The performance will artistically capture the spiritual, cultural, and philosophical ethos of India’s maritime past, symbolizing the timeless bond between the ocean and Indian civilization on the evening October 27, 2025, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.
On October 28, 2025, the day will commence with the Inaugural Ceremony, followed by panel discussion on "India’s Maritime Connections", which will focus on India’s ancient trade routes, maritime diplomacy, and cultural linkages across the Indian Ocean region. Followed by a Closed-Door Meeting for the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) will be convened to mobilize partnerships for heritage development.
In the afternoon, second panel discussion on "Shared Civilizations and Legacy" will explore India’s maritime interactions with other ancient civilizations, highlighting its pivotal role in shaping global cultural exchanges and knowledge flows.
The event will bring together maritime experts, historians, cultural practitioners, policymakers, and international stakeholders to deliberate on India’s ancient oceanic traditions and their continuing influence on contemporary maritime engagement.
- 27th Oct | 06:30 PM ~ Onwards
- 28th Oct | 10:00 AM ~ 08:00 PM
Day 1, 27 October 2025
| Timing | Program |
|---|---|
| 06:30 PM onward |
Day 2, 28 October 2025
| Time | Duration | Agenda | Speakers / Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM -- 10:30 AM | 30 min | Inauguration of Maritime Heritage Day | Theme: India's Maritime Heritage & Shared Civilizational Legacy Welcome remarks by Jt. Secretary, NMHC Opening remarks by Sh. Vijay Kumar, Secretary, MoPSW Remarks by Sh. Shantanu Thakur, Hon'ble Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Remarks by Sh. Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon'ble Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Remarks by Sh. Devendra Fadnavis, Hon'ble CM, Maharashtra or Sh. Eknath Shinde, Dy. CM, Maharashtra [subject to acceptance] Unveiling of NMHC Logo Release of NMHC Research Report Magazine Release of Coffee Table Book Announcement for NMHC fund raising |
| 11:00 AM -- 12:30 PM | 1 hour 30 min | Session 1: India's Maritime Connections – Keynote address & Panel discussion | Keynote: Smt. Pravati Parida, State Tourism Minister of Odisha Sh. Rohan Khaunte, State Tourism Minister of Goa Moderator: Sh. T. K. Ramachandran, Former Secretary, MoPSW Speakers: Dr. Y. S. Rawat, DG, ASI Dr. A. S. Gaur, Maritime Archaeologist, Ex- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography Dr. Chhaya Goswami, Head, Centre for Indian Ocean and Transoceanic Studies, Somaiya School of Civilization, Mumbai Raghuji Raje Angre, Maritime Heritage Expert Dr. Prashant Srivastava, Scientist G, Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr. Veenu Pant, Professor, Dept. of History, Sikkim University Dr. K. Rajan, Professor, Dept. of History, Pondicherry University Prof. V. H. Sonawane, Retired Professor, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda Cmde. (Dr.) Srikant Kesnur, VSM, (Retd), Indian Navy |
| 12:30 PM -- 03:00 PM | 2 hours 30 min | Networking Lunch and Pavilion Visit | - |
| 02:00 PM -- 03:00 PM | 1 hour | Closed Door Meeting for NMHC Fund Raising | - |
| 03:00 PM -- 04:30 PM | 1 hour 30 min | Session 2: Shared Civilizations and Legacy – Panel Discussion | Moderator: Prof. Dr. Vasant Shinde, Chief of Galleries, NMHC Speakers: Miss Nia Naulul Hasnah Ridwan, Maritime Archaeologist, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia Dr. Ahamed Badrelin Gadelmawala, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt Mr. Gamini Ranasinghe, Professor, Sh. Jayawardhanepura University, Sri Lanka Dr. Kim Yongjun, Archaeologist, Korea University, Republic of Korea Mr. Augusto António Alves Salgado, Director, Museu de Marinha, Lisbon, Portugal Mr. W. Rahothan, Archaeologist (Underwater Archaeology), Department of Fine Arts, Ministry of Culture, Thailand |
| 05:00 PM -- 05:30 PM | 30 min | Valedictory Session | Keynote address by Dr. Sanjeev Sanyal, Member EAC-PM | Author & Economic Historian Remarks by Sh. Shantanu Thakur, Hon'ble Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Remarks by Sh. Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon'ble Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Closing remarks by Sh. Vijay Kumar, Secretary, MoPSW |
SPOC Details:
Speakers

Augusto António Alves Salgado
Director, Museu de Marinha, Lisbon, Portugal
Chhaya Goswami
Head and Associate Professor, Centre for Indian Ocean and Transoceanic Studies, Somaiya School of Civilization Studies, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai
Kim Yongjun
Archaeologist, Korea University, Republic of Korea

Raghuji Raje Angre
Maritime Heritage Expert

Veenu Pant
Professor, Department of History, Sikkim University, India

Prof. V. H. Sonawane
Retired Professor, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Faculty of Arts, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India

Mr. W. Rahothan
Archaeologist (Underwater Archaeology), Department of Fine Arts, Ministry of Culture, Thailand

Miss. Nia Naulul Hasnah Ridwan
Maritime Archaeologist, M/o Marine Affairs and Fisheries

Dr. K. Rajan
Professor, Department of History, Pondicherry University, India

Mr. Gamini Ranasinghe
Professor, Sh. Jayawardhanepura University, Sri Lanka

Dr. Ahamad Badrelin Gadelmawala
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt

Cmde. (Dr) Srikant Kesnur, VSM, (Retd)
Indian Navy (Retd)

Dr. Sanjeev Sanyal
Member- EAC to PM

Dr. Prashant Srivastava
Scientist G, MoES

Prof. Dr. Vasant Shinde
Chief of Galleries for NMHC, IPRCL, India

T. K. Ramachandra
Former Secretary, MoPSW, India

Dr. Y. S. Rawat
DG ASI, India


