Latest news with #INSVKaundinya
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
INSV Kaundinya: Navy revives maritime heritage with stitched ship inspired by Ajanta mural
The Indian Navy has formally inducted the ancient-style stitched sail ship, naming it INSV Kaundinya, a vessel modelled on a 5th-century CE depiction of a ship in the Ajanta Caves. The induction ceremony took place on May 21, with officials stating that the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) will be based in Karwar. The ship is named after the legendary mariner Kaundinya, who is believed to have sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia. Navy officials said the vessel is emblematic of India's rich maritime traditions, symbolising centuries of exploration, trade, and cultural dialogue across the seas. The vessel will now prepare for a transoceanic voyage tracing an ancient maritime route from Gujarat to Oman, slated for later this year. Inspired by Ajanta's Maritime Imagery The inspiration for the vessel comes from Cave 2 at Ajanta in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad), part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the 30 rock-cut caves, six preserve murals from the early centuries of the Common Era. The mural in Cave 2 features a large merchant vessel with a high stem and stern, three oblong sails attached to masts, and steering oars. 'This is one of the earliest surviving paintings that narrates the tale of India's international sea trade,' said an official from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). 'It is a vivid testimony of ancient Indian maritime activity.' The Ajanta murals largely illustrate Jataka Katha (stories from the Buddha's past lives) and Avadana Katha (narratives of heroic virtue). Art historian Saili K. Palande-Datar, who has studied Ajanta for over a decade, identified the ship painting as part of the Purna Avadana, a mythical Buddhist narrative. The Tale of Purna and Bhavila 'The painting of the ship that inspired the design of Kaundinya is from Purna Avadana Katha,' Ms. Palande-Datar said. 'It is the story of two brothers, Purna and Bhavila, sons of a rich merchant and a slave woman from Shurparaka—modern-day Nalasopara, two hours from Mumbai.' Owing to their illegitimacy, the brothers were excluded from their father's inheritance. They took to maritime trade and became successful sea-faring merchants. After six successful voyages, Purna encountered traders from Shravasti, in ancient times the capital of the Kosala kingdom, is now located within present day Uttar Pradesh, who introduced him to Buddhism. 'Purna was deeply moved by their accounts of the Buddha and chose to stay back in the Konkan region, then called Sunaparanta, to spread the teachings of Buddhism,' said Ms. Palande-Datar. 'Meanwhile, Bhavila set out on a seventh voyage to the island of Goshaila, famed for its sandalwood.' As per the narrative, the island was guarded by a supernatural being, Maheshwarayaksha, who, angered by the tree-felling, summoned storms to destroy the ship. In desperation, Bhavila prayed to his brother. Purna miraculously appeared, saved the ship, and pacified the guardian spirit. 'This entire tale is depicted in the Ajanta mural and directly inspired the Navy's ship design,' she added. On returning to the western coast, the brothers are said to have built a vihara (monastery) from the sandalwood. 'It is said the Buddha was so impressed by Purna's devotion that he journeyed from Shravasti to Nalasopara to meet him,' Ms. Palande-Datar noted. 'These tales serve to reinforce the religious significance of the region.' Ajanta's Cultural Legacy The Purna Avadana mural, dated to the 5th century CE, is one of many intricate paintings at Ajanta that reflect India's classical age. Executed under the Vakataka dynasty - contemporaries of the Guptas - the murals depict royal courts, gardens, wildlife, and celestial beings such as Garudas and Nagas, showcasing the material and spiritual culture of the period. 'These murals were painted using natural colours derived from mineral stones,' Ms. Palande-Datar said. 'They capture the opulence, urbanity, and rich symbolism of what can rightly be termed a golden age of Indian civilisation.' With the commissioning of INSV Kaundinya, the Indian Navy has not only revived a historical shipbuilding technique but also paid homage to a long and storied maritime tradition embedded in India's civilisational memory.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Painting of ‘merchant' ship at Ajanta Cave 17 inspired INSV Kaundinya: Expert
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, A painting of a 'merchant ship' at Ajanta Cave No. 17, indicating sea trade during the fifth century, inspired the Indian Navy's traditionally-built stitched vessel INSV Kaundinya, an expert has said. The Indian Navy on Wednesday inducted INSV Kaundinya, a recreation of a fifth-century vessel, named in honour of legendary Indian mariner Kaundinya, who once sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia. An Archaeological Survey of India official, who is also an expert on the world-famous Ajanta caves, said, 'The ship depicted in Cave 17 resembles a merchant vessel, indicating the existence of maritime trade during the fifth century.' Another official described the artwork as one of the earliest surviving visual records of trade through the sea route from that era. 'We can identify details like a boat and a sail in this painting. That's why it was chosen for this project, he said. The late historian Walter Spink, in his book 'Ajanta: A brief history and guide', wrote about Cave 17. According to the book, its excavation was sponsored by Upendragupta , the feudatory ruler of the Ajanta. However, the work came to a halt after he was defeated by the Asmakas in 471 CE. Art historian Saili Palande-Datar linked this painting to the Purna Avadana, a narrative from Buddhist literature. She said several Ajanta caves feature paintings of ships. 'We can connect this particular ship with the Purna Avadana Katha. Purna and Bhavila brothers were sandalwood traders from Shurparaka . They made six sea voyages. While Purna embraced Buddhism and settled at Sopara, Bhavila made a seventh voyage to get sandalwood,' she told PTI. During the trip, Bhavila was stopped by a 'Yaksha' named Maheshwar, who tried to sink the ship, said the art historian. 'After Bhavila prayed to Purna, the latter appeared and saved him and the ship. Later, they created a 'vihara' out of sandalwood in Sopara. To meet them, Buddha is said to have come from Shravasti to Sopara. This is a mythical narrative which reflects the spread of Buddhism in Maharashtra's Konkan region,' she said.
India.com
22-05-2025
- General
- India.com
Meet INS Kaundinya – Indian Navy's Masterpiece Ship Without Weapons And Engines
New Delhi: The Indian Navy on May 21 brought back a vessel to its fleet that once lost to time. The hand-made one-of-a-kind wooden ship, INSV Kaundinya, is no ordinary vessel. It is a tribute to Kaundinya – one of India's earliest known ocean voyager. As legend suggests, he was a merchant who discovered a kingdom 2,000 years ego in Southeast Asia. The story starts along Mekong Delta – today's southern Vietnam. The ship of Kaundinya that was carrying Indian merchants came under attack by pirates. He was forced to beach the ship; and when he did it, he was surrounded by a group led by a warrior queen – Soma. The incident witnessed a dramatic twist wherein Soma fell in love with the brave mariner and tied knots with him. They together established the kingdom of Funan, which is considered to be the first in Southeast Asia. Centuries later, the Navy is perhaps reviving Kaundinya's legacy. The newly manufactured ship is the masterpiece of the old craftsmanship. Built using 1,500-year-old techniques, the vessel has been made without using a single nail. The artisans from Kerala have stitched its wooden planks together with coconut fibre, natural resin and coir rope. Like the ship once did when Indian traders sailed across the Indian Ocean to travel to Mesopotamia, Bahrain and Oman, etec., its square cotton sails catch the wind. Talking to The Indian Express, the man behing the revival, Sanjeev Sanyal, who is a member in the prime minister's economic advisory council, described Kaundinya as the 'first Indian mariner we knew by name to have changed history'. Though Indian trade through sea routes is as old as the Bronze Age, the names of only a few voyages survive. Preserved in Southeast Asian sources, Kaundinya's name is an exception. Since there are no records of drawing of his ship, hence this vessel has been designed as per a 5th century painting found in the Ajanta caves that are one among the earliest visual clues of what ancient ships may have looked like. For additional inputs, foreign travellers' account and ancient scripture such as Yuktikalpataru have been relied upon. The vessel is full of symbolism. Its sails feature the sun and the mythical two-headed eagle once used by the Kadamba dynasty – Gandabherunda. A mythical creature – Simha Yali – adorn the ship's bow. It even carries a Harappan-style stone anchor. INSV Kaundinya has neither engine nor radar. Using square sails and steering oars, it runs only on wind power. The Navy will soon train a 15-member crew to master this lost art of sailing. Part of grand cultural project of shipbuilders from Goa-based Hodi Innovations, the Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy, the ship is slated to sail to Oman in late 2025 to retrace the ancient trade routes, which were one used by Indian merchants. Speaking on the launching ceremony of the vessel, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat termed it a 'resurgence of India's maritime glory'. India, with this ship, is not trying to revive only a boat, it is reviving a forgotten sea-borne legacy, a skill and a story.
Hans India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Revival of Ancient Shipbuilding Craft
Karwar: The Indian Navy officially commissioned INSV Kaundinya, a traditionally crafted sail ship, into its fleet at Karwar Naval Base on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in preserving India's maritime heritage. The vessel, constructed using 5th-century CE shipbuilding techniques, reflects a blend of historical ingenuity and modern validation. The induction ceremony was presided over by Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, with Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, and Rear Admiral K M Ramakrishnan, Flag Officer of Karnataka Naval Area, among the attendees. Shekhawat highlighted the project's importance, stating, 'A historic moment for Bharat and our civilisational pride. Presided over the induction ceremony of the Ancient Stitched Ship INSV Kaundinya at Karwar Naval Base today—an extraordinary recreation of a 5th-century vessel, inspired by Ajanta murals and handcrafted by Kerala's traditional artisans using age-old techniques.' He credited Sanjeev Sanyal, Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister, for initiating research into the project. Named after Kaundinya, a legendary Indian mariner who navigated to Southeast Asia, the ship features culturally significant elements, including sails with Gandabherunda (two headed bird) and Sun motifs, a Simha Yali sculpture on the bow, and a Harappan-style stone anchor. These details symbolise India's historical maritime trade and cultural exchanges. The vessel is set to undertake a transoceanic journey along the ancient Gujarat-Oman trade route later this year, reinforcing its role as a living testament to India's seafaring past. The project, formalised in July 2023 through an agreement between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and M/s Hodi Innovations, was funded by the Ministry of Culture. Construction began with the keel-laying in September 2023 and culminated in the ship's launch in Goa in February 2025. A team of artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Babu Sankaran, employed a traditional stitching technique, using coir rope, coconut fibre, and natural resin to join wooden planks. This method, preserved by a single family, was guided by designs derived from Ajanta Cave paintings, as no original blueprints reportedly exist. The Indian Navy oversaw the technical aspects, collaborating with IIT Madras's Department of Ocean Engineering for hydrodynamic testing and internal assessments to ensure the vessel's seaworthiness. The absence of modern fasteners like screws underscores the authenticity of the construction, which relied entirely on historical methods to recreate the hull and rigging.
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First Post
22-05-2025
- General
- First Post
INSV Kaundinya: Indian Navy's ‘stitched ship' inspired by 5th century Ajanta painting
The Indian Navy on Wednesday inducted INSV Kaundinya, a stitched sail ship based on a fifth-century ship showcased in a painting in the Ajanta Caves. Built using traditional stitching techniques, the vessel is named after an ancient Indian mariner whose love story led to the birth of a kingdom read more The Indian Navy has inducted a 'stitched sail ship', named Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya, at a ceremony held at the Naval Base in Karnataka's Karwar. The vessel is modelled on a 5th-century ship showcased in a painting in the Ajanta Caves. The ship is set for a historic transoceanic voyage, traversing the ancient trade route from Gujarat to Oman, according to the Indian Navy. The vessel, with a 15-member crew of the Indian Navy on board, will embark on the journey later this year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here's everything to know about the stitched ship. Features of INSV Kaundinya INSV Kaundinya, the stitched ship, boasts square sails and steering oars, which are 'entirely alien to modern-day ships', as per the Indian Navy. These oars control the steering of the ship, which is reportedly equipped with a main mast, mizzen mast and bowsprit mast. INSV Kaundinya is adorned with culturally significant features. 'Her [the ship's] 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,' the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The vessel was built using traditional stitching techniques by a team of skilled artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright 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 ministry's statement read. Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, told Indian Express that the ship has 'trailing oars, square sails and a flexible hull. It does not have rudders. In modern sailing, usually, triangular sails are used. There are some advantages, but many disadvantages, because you have to basically sail with the wind. So, it is important to recognise that when we attempt to sail it, we will have to relearn the art of sailing with square sails.' The project, which is aimed at exhibiting India's maritime heritage, is being implemented through a tripartite agreement between the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Culture and Goa-based shipbuilding company Hodi Innovations (OPC) Private Ltd. The Indian Navy monitored the ship's 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 defence ministry said in the statement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD INSV Kaundinya's keel laying happened in September 2023, and it was launched in February in Goa. The formal induction of INSV Kaundinya into the Indian Navy is historical and significant for India's maritime heritage. '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,' Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who was the chief guest at the induction ceremony on Wednesday (May 21), wrote on X. A historic moment for Bharat and our civilisational pride. Presided over the induction ceremony of the Ancient Stitched Ship INSV Kaundinya at Karwar Naval Base today—an extraordinary recreation of a 5th-century vessel, inspired by Ajanta murals and handcrafted by Kerala's… — Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) May 21, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How INSV Kaundinya got its name INSV Kaundinya is named after a legendary Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia. More than 2000 years ago, the Indian merchant Kaundinya reached the Mekong Delta (southern Vietnam ), along with a crew of Indians, during his sailing venture. The Indian merchant vessel on which they were aboard was attacked by pirates, who were defeated by Kaundinya. However, the vessel was damaged and had to be beached for repairs, as per an Indian Express report. A local clan, led by warrior queen Soma, encircled the Indian crew, who were outnumbered. Legend has it that a confrontation ensued between them. However, the conflict did not last long as Soma, belonging to the Naga clan, fell in love with Kaundinya and proposed marriage. The couple later went on to establish the royal dynasty of Funan. Kaundinya and Soma established the Funan dynasty. Wikimedia Commons Speaking to Indian Express, Sanyal said, 'Kaundinya and Soma set up a dynasty that went on to form the first Indianised Kingdom in what is now Cambodia/South Vietnam. This is corroborated by Chinese sources. All the future dynasties of the Khmer and Chams of Vietnam… to this day… trace their lineage to this marriage.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
