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Indian Navy's Modern Day Ancient Masterpiece - Stitched Sailing Ship INSV Kaundinya Sets Off
A wooden sailing ship stitched together using coconut fibre rope, natural resin and hand-shaped planks has quietly sailed into modern times under the Indian Navy's flag, recreating a form of seafaring that predates engines, metal hulls and modern naval architecture by centuries.
The vessel, named INSV Kaundinya, relies entirely on wind power and traditional sails, with no mechanical propulsion onboard, placing it closer in spirit to ancient merchant ships than any contemporary naval craft currently in service.
INSV Kaundinya began its voyage from India's western coast in Gujarat, setting sail for Muscat in Oman, following maritime routes that once connected the Indian subcontinent with the Arabian Peninsula through trade, culture and navigation.
Unlike modern ships built with welded steel or composite materials, the hull of INSV Kaundinya has been constructed using a stitched-plank technique, where wooden planks are drilled and bound together with coconut fibre cords instead of nails or rivets.
The seams between the planks are sealed using natural resins and oils, a method historically used along India's coastline to allow hulls to flex with waves rather than resist them through rigid construction.
The design of the INSV Kaundinya is based on visual references found in fifth-century murals at the Ajanta Caves, where merchant vessels are depicted with distinctive hull shapes, sails and rigging that informed the reconstruction process.
Because no complete blueprints exist, naval architects and historians relied on interpretation, hydrodynamic modelling and historical research to translate the ancient artwork into a seaworthy vessel capable of open-ocean travel.
The INSV Kaundinya measures roughly 19.6 metres in length with a beam of about 6.5 metres, proportions that match descriptions of early Indian Ocean trading vessels and allow it to be handled by a relatively small crew under sail.
A team of traditional shipwrights from Kerala undertook the construction of the INSV Kaundinya, employing techniques passed down through generations, including hand-stitching planks and shaping timber without the aid ofmodern industrial tools.
INSV Kaundinya also features visual elements rooted in history, including motifs such as the Gandabherunda and sun symbols painted on the sails, which draw directly from ancient Indian iconography associated with strength and protection.
The project was developed through a collaboration between the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Culture and Hodi Innovations, with the Ministry of Culture providing funding to support the recreation of historical shipbuilding knowledge.
Rather than serving as a ceremonial display piece, the stitched sailing ship has been designed to operate at sea, carrying a full crew and completing real voyages using the same principles that guided sailors centuries ago.
Images Source: PTI
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