CM Reviews Navy Valor Museum Presentation in Lucknow, Directs Swift Construction 

 Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the presentation of the ‘Navy Valor Museum’ proposed in the state capital Lucknow during a review meeting of the Culture Department held at his official residence and issued directions for its expeditious construction.  The Chief Minister stated that the museum will serve as a living symbol of the Indian Navy’s unyielding valor sagas and India’s maritime capability in the Indian Ocean region. The sea has been the churning centre of India’s civilization, and the Indian Navy is the modern expression of that glorious tradition.

The Lucknow museum will become a medium to reach that tradition to every individual.  The Chief Minister directed that the museum should not merely be a viewing site but transformed into an ‘experience hub’ where visitors can feel history. He instructed the use of digital, interactive, and immersive technologies in displays so that people can directly experience naval operations, wars, and technological progress. He also directed that essential information on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj be made available in the Navy Museum.  The meeting was informed that the museum will be designed in the form of a ship. It will feature distinctive identity through ship railings, porthole-like windows, naval architecture, and maritime symbols. The complex will include an Interpretation Centre, Central Deck, Open Air Memorial, Thematic Walkway, Exhibition Gallery, Fountain, and Light-and-Sound Arena. The museum design will be energy-sensitive, incorporating natural lighting, ventilation, and green construction techniques.  

The presentation revealed that the project is being developed in two major components. The first—‘INS Gomti Valor Memorial’—and the second—‘Navy Valor Garden’. ‘INS Gomti (F-21)’, an indigenous missile frigate of the Godavari class, served the Indian Navy for 34 years and participated in operations such as ‘Operation Cactus’ and ‘Operation Parakram’. It will be preserved and displayed in the museum complex so that citizens and youth can directly witness its story of bravery.  The Chief Minister described the ‘Navy Valor Garden’ as a special attraction of the project and directed its expeditious completion. He stated that the garden will become a vibrant experience venue connecting youth with modern naval operations and technology. A TU-142 aircraft, which remained active for 29 years in maritime surveillance and disaster relief operations, is being installed in the garden. Additionally, the exhibition of a Sea King MK-42B helicopter is also proposed.  

The meeting was informed that the museum complex will feature a 7-D theatre, aircraft carrier landing simulator, warship simulator, submerged Dwarka model, digital water screen show, marine life aquarium, and participatory activities such as ‘Dress Like Your Heroes’. Furthermore, interactive galleries related to naval gallantry awards, historical operations, and indigenous defence innovations will be developed. 

A committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Director General of Tourism for project monitoring, which includes experts from the Maritime Heritage Society, UP Projects Corporation, and the Navy.  The Chief Minister stated that through this project, the consciousness of maritime glory that once linked India’s coastal trade and the cultural chain of the Indian Ocean will be reawakened in Uttar Pradesh. He said that the Lucknow museum will become a symbol not only of the Indian Navy’s valor but also of India’s maritime soul. The museum will accord Uttar Pradesh a new and prestigious identity on the national tourism map.