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India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Indian Navy inducts historic ship 'Kaundinya' built using ancient techniques
Karwar (Karnataka) [India], May 21 (ANI): The Indian Navy inducted INSV Kaundinya, a ship reconstructed using ancient shipbuilding techniques, into its fleet at the Karwar Naval Base on Wednesday. The ceremony was led by Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and was attended by Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A), Rear Admiral KM Ramakrishnan, Flag Officer Karnataka Naval Area, and other dignitaries. According to a release, INSV Kaundinya is a stitched sail ship, based on a 5th century CE ship depicted in the paintings of Ajanta Caves. The project was initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in Jul 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and M/s Hodi Innovations, with funding from the Ministry of Culture. Following the keel laying in September 2023, the vessel's construction was undertaken using a traditional method of stitching by a team of skilled artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Shri Babu Sankaran. Over several months, the team painstakingly stitched wooden planks on the ship's hull using coir rope, coconut fibre and natural resin. The ship was launched in Feb 2025 at Goa. Speaking at the event, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, 'It is a historic and important day. India's ancient maritime capabilities and ship-building skills have been revived. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Economic Advisor, Sanjeev Sanyal, was the first to research this. Reconstructed from a 5th-century Ajanta painting, the ship was built using the ancient stitching technique. No screws have been used in its construction and has been built by the only remaining family who know this art. This is not just an ancient technique of ship-building, but a resurgence of Indian history. I feel blessed to be here. Such a legacy ship can be used for tourism in the future.' The Indian Navy played a central role in the project, overseeing the design, technical validation, and construction process. With no surviving blueprints of such vessels, the design had to be inferred from iconographic sources. The Navy collaborated with the shipbuilder to recreate the hull form and traditional rigging, and ensured that the design was validated through hydrodynamic model testing at the Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, and internal technical assessment. 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. Named after Kaundinya, the legendary Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia, the ship serves as a tangible symbol of India's long-standing traditions of maritime exploration, trade, and cultural exchange. Inducted as an Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV), Kaundinya will be based at Karwar. The ship will now embark on her next historic phase, involving preparations for a transoceanic voyage along the ancient trade route from Gujarat to Oman, scheduled for later this year. (ANI)
India Gazette
20-05-2025
- General
- India Gazette
Indian Navy to induct traditionally built 'ancient stitched ship' tomorrow
New Delhi [India], May 20 (ANI): Indian Navy will induct and unveil the name of the Ancient Stitched Ship during a ceremonial event on May 21 at Naval Base, Karwar. Minister of Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, will preside over the ceremony as the Chief Guest, formally marking the induction of the ship into Indian Navy. In a post on X, the Indian Navy shared, 'Indian Navy to induct and name the Ancient Stitched Ship on May 21 at Naval Base, Karwar. Reconstructed from a 5th-century Ajanta painting, the ship was built using the ancient technique of stitching, with square sails and steering oars. A rare feat in our modern shipbuilding history.' The stitched ship is a recreation of a 5th-century CE ship, inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves. The project was formally initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in Jul 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations, with funding from the Ministry of Culture. The Keel laying of the Stitched Ship took place on September 12, 2023. The construction of the Stitched Ship was carried out using entirely traditional methods and raw materials by artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Babu Sankaran, who executed thousands of hand-stitched joints. The ship was launched in Feb 2025 at Hodi Shipyard, Goa. The Indian Navy has overseen the entire spectrum of implementation of this project, including concept development, design, technical validation and construction in collaboration with Hodi Innovations and traditional artisans. The design and construction posed unique technical challenges. With no surviving blueprints or physical remnants, the design had to be extrapolated from a two-dimensional artistic iconography. The project demanded a unique interdisciplinary approach, combining archaeological interpretation, Naval architecture, hydrodynamic testing and traditional craftsmanship. 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. The Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, to conduct model testing to validate the vessel's hydrodynamic behaviour at sea. Further, the Indian Navy undertook an in-house structural analysis to assess the wooden mast system, designed and constructed without the use of contemporary materials. Every aspect of the ship had to balance historical authenticity with seaworthiness, leading to design choices that were both innovative and true to the maritime traditions of ancient India. The combination of a stitched hull, square sails, wooden spars, and traditional steering mechanisms makes the vessel unlike any ship currently in Naval service anywhere in the world. The successful completion of the construction of the Ancient Stitched Ship represents the completion of the first and most formidable phase, bringing to life, from an artistic depiction, a fully functional sea-going vessel. Post induction, the project will enter its second important phase, where the Indian Navy will undertake the ambitious challenge of sailing this vessel along traditional maritime trade routes, reviving the spirit of ancient Indian seafaring. Preparations for the vessel's maiden transoceanic voyage from Gujarat to Oman are already underway. The completion of the stitched ship construction not only reaffirms India's rich shipbuilding legacy but also reflects the Indian Navy's commitment to preserving and operationalising the living traditions of India's Maritime Heritage. (ANI)
Deccan Herald
20-05-2025
- General
- Deccan Herald
Indian Navy to acquire ancient stitched ship
#IndianNavy to induct & name the Ancient Stitched Ship on #21May at Naval Base, Karwar. Reconstructed from a 5th century Ajanta painting, the ship was built using the ancient technique of stitching, with square sails & steering oars. A rare feat in our modern shipbuilding…
