INSV Kaundinya: 5th-century ship replica nears Muscat on historic trip

Indian Navy's INSV Kaundinya, a recreation of a 5th-century ship, is on its maiden voyage to Muscat to retrace ancient sea routes. The stitched vessel, based on Ajanta cave art, has crossed two-thirds of its journey across the Arabian Sea.

Indian Navy's stitched sailing vessel INSV Kaundinya, which embarked on her maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar in Gujarat last month is preparing to enter Omani waters as it heads for its final destination of Muscat.

Economist and Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council member Sanjeev Sanyal has been sharing updates about the historic journey of the vessel, which is the recreation of a 5th-century Indian ship. On Sunday, Sanyal, in a post on social media platform X wrote "INSV Kaundinya flying the tricolour across the Arabian Sea: Ship of Wood with Men of Steel." The journey, which began on December 29, 2025, aims to recreate the ancient maritime trading route that connected India with West Asia and other parts of the world.

Updates From the Voyage

Commander Y Hemant Kumar, who has been associated with the project since its conceptualisation, and serves at the Officer-in-Charge of the INSV Kaundinya posted on January 11 a latest update on the voyage. "Crossed paths today with a wooden dhow on the high seas. Felt like meeting a distant descendant of INSV Kaundinya" he said. "After days of sailing on INSV Kaundinya in the quiet company of phytoplankton and fish on the high seas, we are finally seeing fellow seafarers," he said posting several photos from the sea.

The Kaundinya is based on a 5th-century CE ship depicted in the paintings of Ajanta Caves. It is being skippered by Commander Vikas Sheoran leading a 16-member crew. They have crossed more than two-thirds of their journey and the Kaundinya is set to arrive at Muscat around January 15.

Earlier on January 10, Sanyal gave an update of Day 13 of the ship's journey, stating that there had been "several bouts of heavy rain." "Everything is damp after that. Also the local system disrupted the wind but it is now back from the east. We did however get a nice sunset. It was still drizzling when we raised the sails. Now more than 2/3 done. We will soon face a problem the ancient mariners did not face - oil tankers and large container vessels. So far we we encountered the occasional one, but tomorrow we will enter a heavy traffic corridor." Sanyal posted on X.

Building the Ancient Vessel

The project was initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in Jul 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations, with funding from the Ministry of Culture.

Following the keel laying in September 2023, the vessel's construction was undertaken using a traditional method of stitching by a team of skilled artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Babu Sankaran. Over several months, the team painstakingly stitched wooden planks on the ship's hull using coir rope, coconut fibre and natural resin. The ship was launched in February 2025 at Goa.

Symbolism and Legacy

The sails of the indigenously built ship 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.

Named after Kaundinya, the legendary Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia, the ship serves as a tangible symbol of India's long-standing traditions of maritime exploration, trade, and cultural exchange. (ANI)

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