State Maritime Museum was inaugurated in Cuttack on Utkal Divas to recall the glory of rich maritime trade of our ancestors in Odisha. The museum was built on the embankment of the Mahanadi River at Jobra.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the museum after launching the community policing service at Markat Nagar police station on Monday.

The Museum, which has been constructed at the cost of Rs 10 crore, boasts of 13 galleries with themes such as rich maritime history of Odisha, navigation techniques of the past and the present, a coastal gallery, an amphitheatre and a research centre.

It is spread over an area of around 5.7 acre. It also displays boats of various states including Odisha’s ancient country boat (boita), Viking boats, Kerala’s snake boat and Kashmir’s shikara. Public can visit the museum without entry fee for today.

The museum has been jointly developed by Indian National Trust for Art and Culture and state water resources department.