Karwar (Karnataka) [India], May 21 (ANI): The Indian Navy has inducted INSV Kaundinya, a unique stitched sail ship built using ancient Indian shipbuilding techniques, into its fleet at the Karwar Naval Base. The induction ceremony, held on Wednesday, was led by Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and attended by senior naval officials including Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A), and Rear Admiral KM Ramakrishnan, Flag Officer Karnataka Naval Area.
According to an official release, INSV Kaundinya is modeled on a 5th-century CE ship depicted in the Ajanta cave paintings. The project was launched in July 2023 through a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations, with funding provided by the Ministry of Culture.
Construction began with the keel laying in September 2023 and was executed using traditional methods by skilled artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Shri Babu Sankaran. The vessel was painstakingly built without the use of modern screws or nails. Instead, wooden planks were stitched together using coir rope, coconut fiber, and natural resin—a method passed down through generations and now preserved by one remaining family familiar with the craft. The ship was launched in Goa in February 2025.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat remarked, “It is a historic and important day. India’s ancient maritime capabilities and shipbuilding skills have been revived. Reconstructed from a 5th-century Ajanta painting, the ship was built using the ancient stitching technique. No screws have been used in its construction. This is not just an ancient technique of ship-building, but a resurgence of Indian history. Such a legacy ship can be used for tourism in the future.”
The Indian Navy played a pivotal role throughout the process, overseeing the vessel’s design, technical validation, and construction. With no surviving blueprints of such ships, the design had to be inferred from iconography. Collaborating with the shipbuilders, the Navy recreated the hull and rigging and validated the final design through hydrodynamic testing at IIT Madras’ Department of Ocean Engineering and internal assessments.
Cultural symbolism is deeply embedded in the vessel’s design. The sails feature motifs of the Gandabherunda and the Sun; the bow is adorned with a sculpted Simha Yali; and a Harappan-style stone anchor graces the deck, echoing India’s ancient maritime legacy.
Named after the legendary Indian mariner Kaundinya—who is said to have sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia—the ship is a tribute to India’s historical traditions of seafaring, exploration, trade, and cultural exchange.
Now formally inducted as an Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV), Kaundinya will be stationed at Karwar. Preparations are underway for her next major milestone—a transoceanic voyage retracing the ancient maritime trade route from Gujarat to Oman, planned for later this year. (ANI)
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