KARWAR, India — The Indian Navy on Saturday formally inducted and named a reconstructed 5th century-style stitched sail ship as INSV Kaundinya during a ceremonial event at Naval Base Karwar, celebrating a landmark project that revives India’s ancient seafaring legacy.
Indian Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presided over the event as chief guest, hailing the project as “a living tribute to India’s rich maritime and shipbuilding heritage.”
INSV Kaundinya is a historically inspired vessel modeled after a ship depicted in the murals of the Ajanta Caves. Its construction relied entirely on traditional methods, using wooden planks stitched together with coir rope, coconut fiber, and natural resin — a technique once widespread along India’s coasts but nearly extinct today. The ship was built by a team of artisans from Kerala led by master shipwright Babu Sankaran and was launched in Goa in February.
The vessel was created under a tripartite agreement signed in July 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations, with funding from the Ministry of Culture. The Navy oversaw the design and technical implementation, including hydrodynamic testing in partnership with IIT Madras, to ensure the ship’s seaworthiness despite its unconventional build.
With no surviving physical remains or design blueprints from the era, the Navy and its partners relied on iconographic interpretations to recreate the hull form, rigging, and sail systems. The ship incorporates several culturally significant elements, including sails adorned with the Gandabherunda and Sun motifs, a sculpted Simha Yali figurehead, and a Harappan-style stone anchor on its deck.
Named after the legendary Indian mariner Kaundinya — who is believed to have sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia — the vessel symbolizes India’s long tradition of maritime exploration and trade.
Now inducted as an Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV), Kaundinya will be based in Karwar. The Navy said the vessel will next prepare for a transoceanic voyage tracing ancient trade routes from Gujarat to Oman, scheduled for later this year.
“This project is more than a ship,” a Navy spokesperson said. “It is a voyage back in time — one that honors and reanimates India’s glorious maritime past.”
