Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
The ship will be sailing from Porbandar in Gujarat to Muscat, symbolically tracing the historic sea routes that connected India with the wider Indian Ocean world for millennia.
The Defense Ministry said that inspired by the depictions of ancient Indian ships and completely constructed using the traditional stitch-plank technique, INSV Kaundinya represents a rare convergence of history, craftsmanship and modern naval expertise.
The Indian Navy’s pioneering stealth sailing ship, which revives India’s ancient shipbuilding and seafaring traditions, will make her maiden overseas voyage on December 29, it said.
“Unlike contemporary ships, her wooden planks are stitched together using coconut coir rope and sealed with natural resins, reflecting the shipbuilding tradition once prevalent off the coasts of India and the Indian Ocean,” the ministry said.
Officials said this technology had enabled Indian sailors to travel long distances in West Asia, Africa and Southeast Asia long before the advent of modern navigation and metallurgy.
The project was initiated through a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy and Hodi Innovation as part of India’s efforts to rediscover and revive indigenous knowledge systems.
“Built by traditional artisans under the guidance of Master Shipbuilder Shri Babu Shankaran and supported by extensive research, design and testing by the Indian Navy and academic institutions, the ship is fully seaworthy and capable of maritime navigation,” the ministry said in a statement.
Named after the famous sailor Kaundinya, who is believed to have traveled from India to Southeast Asia in ancient times, the ship symbolizes India’s historical role as a maritime nation.
(edited by : Priyanka Deshpande,