New Delhi, 23 December (H.S.): The Indian Navy's groundbreaking stitched sailing vessel, INSV Kaundinya—inducted on May 21, 2025, at Karwar Naval Base after a tripartite MoU between the Ministry of Culture, Indian Navy, and Goa-based Hodi Innovations—will embark on her maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar, Gujarat, to Muscat, Oman, on December 29, symbolically retracing millennia-old maritime trade routes that linked India to West Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Inspired by fifth-century merchant ship depictions in Ajanta Caves murals, the 20-meter wooden vessel features planks meticulously stitched with coconut coir ropes, sealed by natural resins, fish oil, and tree sap under master shipwright Babu Sankaran's guidance from Kerala artisans, eschewing metal nails or welds to revive coastal shipbuilding traditions that powered ancient Indian mariners' long-haul expeditions.

Named after legendary first-century sailor Kaundinya, who voyaged from India to Southeast Asia, the fully seaworthy ship—adorned with Gandabherunda eagle sails from the Kadamba dynasty and Simha Yali motifs—carries a 16-member Navy crew trained in rigging and carpentry by traditional experts, having already sailed from Karwar on December 13 en route to Porbandar in 8-10 days.

This Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav project underscores India's rediscovery of indigenous knowledge, blending historical research, academic validation, and naval testing to honor a seafaring legacy that predates modern navigation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar