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Ancient, stitched shipbuilding joins Indian Navy

Karwar, May 21 (UNI) In an extraordinary feat of historical reconstruction and artisanal skill, the Indian Navy on Wednesday inducted INSV Kaundinya, a traditionally stitched wooden sail ship based on a 5th century CE design, reviving an ancient shipbuilding technique long forgotten in modern naval engineering.
Constructed without a single metal nail, the ship’s hull is made of wooden planks stitched together using coir rope, coconut fibre, and natural resin—a method depicted in the paintings of Ajanta Caves and practiced along the Indian coastline over 1,500 years ago.
Union Minister for Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who presided over the induction ceremony held at Naval Base Karwar, called the vessel a “living tribute to India’s maritime ingenuity and craftsmanship.” He said the initiative not only reclaims a slice of Indian history but also inspires future generations to explore indigenous knowledge systems.
The vessel, now named INSV Kaundinya, is the product of a unique tripartite collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations. The project began in July 2023 and was funded by the Ministry of Culture under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav programme. The construction was undertaken by a team of traditional shipwrights from Kerala led by master craftsman Babu Sankaran.
Following the keel laying in September 2023, the artisans used ancient methods to carefully stitch the hull together—a meticulous process that took months and demanded precision and dedication. The ship was launched in February 2025 at Goa.
Despite the lack of surviving blueprints or technical diagrams, the Indian Navy ensured technical oversight, collaborating with the Department of Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras to validate the hull’s design through hydrodynamic model testing. Naval architects also assessed the vessel’s seaworthiness internally, ensuring a seamless blend of tradition and safety.
The ship features several culturally resonant elements: its sails are emblazoned with the Gandabherunda and Sun motifs, the bow is carved with a sculpted Simha Yali, and a Harappan-style stone anchor rests on her deck—each a tribute to India’s ancient maritime identity.
INSV Kaundinya is named after the legendary Indian mariner who is believed to have sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia, spreading Indian culture and trade. The vessel, now stationed at Karwar, will soon undertake a symbolic transoceanic voyage along the ancient trade route from Gujarat to Oman, slated for later this year.
“This is not just a ship; it is a message to the world,” a senior Navy official said. “India was a seafaring civilisation long before modern naval power existed. With Kaundinya, we honour that past and sail it into the future.”
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