Ship railings, porthole windows: Sneak peek at Lucknow’s upcoming Naval Museum design

According to a government statement, during the presentation, it was informed that the museum will be designed in the abstract form of a ship, featuring ship railings, porthole-style windows, naval architecture, and maritime symbols.

The complex will also include an interpretation centre, central deck, open-air memorial, thematic walkways, exhibition galleries, fountains, and a light-and-sound arena. The museum’s energy-efficient design will emphasise on natural light, ventilation, and green construction techniques to promote sustainability, said the statement.

The museum should not merely serve as a visual display but as an experience centre where visitors can engage with history through digital, interactive, and immersive technologies, the CM told the officials.

He directed that the exhibits should allow visitors to experience naval operations, warfare, and technological innovations firsthand.

The project is being developed in two segments, the ‘INS Gomati Shaurya Smarak’ (Sacred Memorial) and the ‘Nausena Shaurya Vatika’. The INS Gomati (F-21), an indigenous Godavari-class missile frigate that served the Indian Navy for 34 years and was part of operations such as Operation Cactus and Operation Parakram, will be preserved and displayed within the complex.

Describing the ‘Nausena Shaurya Vatika’ as the “highlight of the project”, the CM ordered its early completion. A TU-142 aircraft, which served the Navy for 29 years in maritime surveillance and disaster relief, is also being installed in the garden, along with a proposed exhibition of the Sea King SK-42B helicopter.

According to government sources, the museum complex will also feature a 7D 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’.
Additionally, interactive galleries dedicated to the Navy’s gallantry awards, historic missions, and indigenous defence innovations will also be developed.

“The Navy Shaurya Museum in Lucknow will give Uttar Pradesh a proud new identity on the national tourism map,” said Adityanath. He stated that the museum will rekindle Uttar Pradesh’s ancient maritime heritage, which “once served as a vital link in India’s coastal trade and Indian Ocean connectivity”.