INSV Kaundinya: Navy inducts traditionally-built stitched ship

Karwar: The dian Navy on Wednesday inducted a traditionally-built stitched ship as INSV Kaundinya at a ceremony held at the strategically located Karwar naval base in Karnataka.

It is a recreation of a fifth-century vessel and is named after Kaundinya, a legendary Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia, officials said.

The ship serves as a tangible symbol of India’s long-standing traditions of maritime exploration, trade, and cultural exchange, and its induction and naming marks a culmination of an “extraordinary project” that celebrates India’s rich shipbuilding heritage, they said.

“The Indian Navy formally inducted and named the stitched ship as Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya today at a ceremonial event held at the Karwar naval base. Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presided over the event,” a Navy spokesperson said. The newly inducted vessel incorporates several culturally significant features.

“Her sails display motifs of the Gandabherunda and the Sun, her bow bears a sculpted Simha Yali, and a symbolic Harappan style stone anchor adorns her deck, each element evoking the rich maritime traditions of ancient India,” he said.

INSV Kaundinya will be based at Karwar. The ship will now embark on her next historic phase, involving preparations for a trans-oceanic voyage along the ancient trade route from Gujarat to Oman, scheduled for later this year, the Navy spokesperson said.

Unlike any modern vessel, the stitched ship is equipped with square sails and steering oars, which are “entirely alien to modern-day ships”. The hull geometry, rigging, and sails had to be reimagined and tested from first principles, according to the Navy.

The culture ministry in September 2023 said it collaborated with the Navy and Hodi Innovations, Goa as part of an initiative launched by the Centre to reconstruct the ancient ship, reminiscent of the ships that once sailed the oceans on India’s ancient maritime trade routes.

The project was formally initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in July 2023 among them, with funding from the Ministry of Culture.

The keel laying of the ship took place in September 2023.

“The stitched ship is a recreation of a 5th century CE ship, inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves,” a Navy spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Shekhawat, in a post on X, termed the induction of the traditionally-built stitched ship as akin to “rewriting history”.

In another post on X, he described it as, “A historic moment for Bharat and our civilisational pride.”

“This is not just the launch of a vessel -- it is the launch of heritage. A symbolic act that echoes across centuries, marking the resurgence of India’s maritime legacy and reaffirming our deep and enduring ties with the Indian Ocean world,” the Union minister said.