The Indian Navy is set to induct INSV Kaundinya, a traditionally built stitched-plank sailing vessel, at Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka on May 21, 2025. Inspired by a 5th-century Ajanta cave painting, the vessel highlights India’s rich maritime heritage and ancient shipbuilding traditions, with plans for a future transoceanic voyage.

Key Points:

• INSV Kaundinya is a recreation of an ancient stitched-plank ship depicted in a 5th-century Ajanta mural, showcasing India’s historical shipbuilding knowledge.
• Built by artisans from Kerala under master shipwright Babu Sankaran, the vessel employs ancient stitching techniques using coir rope and natural resins, without any modern fasteners.
• Its unique design includes square sails, twin steering oars, and a flexible stitched hull, demanding innovation in hull geometry and rigging based on first principles.
• Named after legendary Indian sailor Kaundinya, the ship commemorates India’s historic maritime trade and cultural links with Southeast Asia.
• INSV Kaundinya is set to undertake a historic transoceanic journey from Gujarat to Oman, retracing ancient Indian Ocean trade routes.
• The project received guidance from archaeologists, historians, naval architects, and traditional shipwrights, blending science with heritage.
• Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who presided over the induction ceremony, emphasized the role of such initiatives in reviving India’s maritime legacy and promoting coastal cultural tourism.
• The vessel was inducted as part of the National Maritime Heritage Complex project, which aims to celebrate India’s maritime achievements and revive interest in ocean-based traditions.