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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 October 2025 To 28th October 2025
  • 27th Oct | 06:30 PM ~ Onwards
  • 28th Oct | 10:00 AM ~ 08:00 PM
Hall No. 6, Bombay Exhibition Center, Goregaon, Mumbai

Day 1, 27 October 2025

TimingProgram
06:30 PM onward
  • Operatic Dance Drama Amṛita Manthana – The Churning of the Ocean byPadma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh and Sh. N.Ravikiran
  • Day 2, 28 October 2025

    TimeDurationAgendaSpeakers / Details
    10:00 AM -- 10:30 AM30 minInauguration 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 PM1 hour 30 minSession 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 PM2 hours 30 minNetworking Lunch and Pavilion Visit-
    02:00 PM -- 03:00 PM1 hourClosed Door Meeting for NMHC Fund Raising
    -
    03:00 PM -- 04:30 PM1 hour 30 minSession 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 PM30 minValedictory 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:

    Name: Aniket Arun Rao Barapatre
    Contact: +91 8928853042
    Email: aniket.arunrao.barapatre@pwc.com

    Speakers

    Photo of Augusto António Alves Salgado

    Augusto António Alves Salgado

    Director, Museu de Marinha, Lisbon, Portugal

    Photo of Chhaya Goswami

    Chhaya Goswami

    Head and Associate Professor, Centre for Indian Ocean and Transoceanic Studies, Somaiya School of Civilization Studies, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai

    Photo of Kim Yongjun

    Kim Yongjun

    Archaeologist, Korea University, Republic of Korea

    Photo of Raghuji Raje Angre

    Raghuji Raje Angre

    Maritime Heritage Expert

    Photo of Veenu Pant

    Veenu Pant

    Professor, Department of History, Sikkim University, India

    Photo of Prof. V. H. Sonawane

    Prof. V. H. Sonawane

    Retired Professor, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Faculty of Arts, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India

    Photo of Mr. W. Rahothan

    Mr. W. Rahothan

    Archaeologist (Underwater Archaeology), Department of Fine Arts, Ministry of Culture, Thailand

    Photo of Miss. Nia Naulul Hasnah Ridwan

    Miss. Nia Naulul Hasnah Ridwan

    Maritime Archaeologist, M/o Marine Affairs and Fisheries

    Photo of Dr. K. Rajan

    Dr. K. Rajan

    Professor, Department of History, Pondicherry University, India

    Photo of Mr. Gamini Ranasinghe

    Mr. Gamini Ranasinghe

    Professor, Sh. Jayawardhanepura University, Sri Lanka

    Photo of Dr. Ahamad Badrelin Gadelmawala

    Dr. Ahamad Badrelin Gadelmawala

    Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt

    Photo of Cmde. (Dr) Srikant Kesnur, VSM, (Retd)

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

    Indian Navy (Retd)

    Photo of Dr. Sanjeev Sanyal

    Dr. Sanjeev Sanyal

    Member- EAC to PM

    Photo of Dr. Prashant Srivastava

    Dr. Prashant Srivastava

    Scientist G, MoES

    Photo of Prof. Dr. Vasant Shinde

    Prof. Dr. Vasant Shinde

    Chief of Galleries for NMHC, IPRCL, India

    Photo of T. K. Ramachandra

    T. K. Ramachandra

    Former Secretary, MoPSW, India

    Photo of Dr. Y. S. Rawat

    Dr. Y. S. Rawat

    DG ASI, India