A naval marvel that recreates a 5th century building technique, the INSV Kaundinya, will set sail for her maiden overseas journey to Oman on December 29, officials said.
To be flagged off from Gujarat’s Porbandar, the ship will retrace her historic maritime routes that connected India with the rest of the world via the Indian Ocean, before reaching Muscat.
INSV Kaundinya stands out for being constructed using an ancient stitched-plank technique that includes coconut coir rope and natural resins stitched together in a rare resurgence of history.
It is named after the legendary mariner, Kaundinya, who is believed to have sailed from India to Southeast Asia hundreds of years ago, long before the discovery of metallurgy and sophisticated navigation methods.
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"Unlike contemporary vessels, her wooden planks are stitched together using coconut coir rope and sealed with natural resins, reflecting a shipbuilding tradition once prevalent along India’s coasts and across the Indian Ocean," said the defence ministry, adding that the ship represents a rare convergence of history, craftsmanship, and modern naval expertise.
The project was undertaken through a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy and Hodi Innovations as part of India’s endeavor to rediscover and revive indigenous knowledge systems that helped Indian mariners undertake long-distance voyages to West Asia, Africa, and southeast Asia.
“Built by traditional artisans under the guidance of master shipwright Shri Babu Sankaran and supported by extensive research, design and testing by the Indian Navy and academic institutions, the vessel is fully seaworthy and capable of oceanic navigation,” the ministry’s statement further added.
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