News: The traditionally built ‘ancient stitched ship’ inducted into the Indian navy as INSV Kaundinya.
About INSV Kaundinya
- INSV Kaundinya is a stitched sail ship, based on a 5th century CE ship depicted in the paintings of Ajanta Caves.
- Project: The project was initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in Jul 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Goa-based shipbuilding company Hodi Innovations (OPC) Private Ltd.
- Funding: The Project was funded from the Ministry of Culture.
- Inducted as an Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV), Kaundinya will be based at Karwar.
- Naming: The ship is named after Kaundinya, the legendary Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia.
- Building technique: The ship has been recreated using ancient stitching techniques and constructed by artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Shri Babu Sankaran, using coconut fibre stitching, traditional wooden joinery, coir rope and natural resins and powered by cotton sails.
- Cultural significance: 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.
- The ship serves as a tangible symbol of India’s long-standing traditions of maritime exploration, trade, and cultural exchange.
