Every year on April 5, the National Maritime Day is celebrated, in an work to develop awareness in supporting protected and environmentally sound intercontinental commerce and the worldwide economy. This day focuses on defending and preserving the maritime zone of the nation.
When did it all commence?
The Indian Navy Day is celebrated on December 4 the World Maritime Day is observed on the final week of September on Thursday annually and in India the National Maritime Day is celebrated on April 5. Each year there are diverse themes for the civilian shipping sector.
India’s Maritime History
According to reports maritime history starts millennia ago — in the 3rd millennium BC, the individuals of the Indus Valley had began their maritime trade with Mesopotamia. And when Egypt was annexed by the Roman Empire, the trade began with the Romans also.
What was becoming sent?
Boats laden with the Indian spices, incense and textiles sailed towards the Western planet.
And for the objective of navigation, the maps, charts had been based on the Pole star and Constellation.
To provide protection to the trading ships, the Indian rulers had also began organizing the navy for this objective. These navy boats had been accompanying the trade vessels on their journeys.
However, according to history, it was incredibly late in the Middle Ages that the want to keep a navy was felt urgently, when the European vessels began getting into India from Portugal and the Netherlands.
After the British Raj the Indian shipbuilders had continued to construct for the Royal Navy which integrated ships like the HMS Hindostan, HMS Ceylon, HMS Asia, HMS Cornwallis, and HMS Minden.
And, based on the info obtainable in the public domain, involving 1736 and 1821, about 159 ships of more than one hundred tons, like 15 ships of more than 1,000 tons had been created by the Bombay Dockyard.
The 1st time the National Maritime Day was celebrated was on April 5, 1964. The history of India’s shipping in fact began on April 5, 1919, it was for the 1st time that the SS Loyalty, which was the 1st ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd which was the largest 1st huge scale shipping firm owned completely by the nearby Indian businessmen had travelled from Bombay (Now Mumbai) to the United Kingdom (London).
The 58th edition of the National Maritime Day and for building more awareness the National Maritime Day Celebrations (Central) Committee has instituted the highest award to recognize and honour persons for their sustained and outstanding contribution to the Maritime Domain. The Varuna award ceremony is carried out in Mumbai and any individual who fulfils the criteria receives a statue of Lord Varuna.
The Ministry of Shipping regulates India’s maritime transport and shipping and policies and programmes. Also it has jurisdiction more than national waterways, inland water transport, ports, and shipyards.
As of December 2018, the Directorate General of Shipping has stated that there are 43 shipping businesses who personal 1,401 ships with a combined 12.69 million gross tonnage.
The National Maritime Day is diverse from the World Maritime Day. This day is celebrated in the final week of September globally.
In 1959, India became an associate of International Maritime Organisation which is for maritime protection and to stop pollution from ships.
The World Maritime Theme for 2021 is devoted to seafarers, highlighting their central part which is incredibly significant for the way forward for the shipping sector.