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WITH COIR, KERALA CARPENTERS RECREATE ANCIENT VESSEL

Why in the News?

  • Maiden voyage: The indigenous stitched sailing vessel INSV Kaundinya began its maiden voyage from Porbandar to Oman on December 29, 2025.
  • Artisanal feat: Crafted using traditional stitched-plank techniques by a Kerala carpenter-led team, reviving ancient maritime skills while adhering to modern environmental clearance standards, including considerations for retrospective environmental clearances.
  • National effort: Built under a tripartite MoU involving the Indian Navy to showcase India’s maritime heritage and promote environmentally sustainable shipbuilding practices, in line with the precautionary principle and the polluter pays principle.

CRAFTSMANSHIP AND BUILD PROCESS

  • Lead artisan: Babu Sankaran (Vadakara, Kozhikode) led a 20-member Malabar carpenter team.
  • Traditional method: Wooden planks stitched with coconut coir and sealed using natural resins—no metal fastenings, aligning with principles of pollution-free environment in construction and adhering to EIA notification guidelines.
  • Build timeline: Constructed over 16 months (Dec 2023–May 2025) at a Goa shipyard under naval supervision, following strict coastal regulation zone guidelines and environmental impact assessment protocols, including ex post facto environmental clearances where necessary.
  • Design details: 19.6 m long; sails feature Gandabherunda and sun motifs; bow bears Simha Yali and a Harappan-style stone anchor.

CULTURAL AND STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE

  • Heritage revival: Highlights India’s ancient Indian Ocean seafaring traditions while promoting environmental jurisprudence in maritime activities, considering the Vanashakti judgment’s implications on environmental clearances.
  • Knowledge systems: Part of efforts led by the Ministry of Culture to revive indigenous knowledge systems and foster environmental democracy in traditional practices, emphasizing the importance of pollution-free environment.
  • Symbolic naming: Named after legendary mariner Kaundinya, believed to have sailed from India to Southeast Asia, emphasizing historical environmental impact assessments in navigation and the need for ex-post environmental clearances in modern contexts.
  • Naval induction: Inducted as an Indian Naval Sailing Vessel on May 21, 2025, showcasing the integration of heritage and modern environmental standards, including adherence to the polluter pays principle.

STITCHED-PLANK SHIPBUILDING IN INDIA
● Technique: Planks sewn with coir—common along India’s coasts historically.
● Advantages: Flexible hulls suited for open-sea voyages.
● Legacy: Enabled trade and cultural links across the Indian Ocean.
● Materials: Coir, timber, natural resins—sustainable and locally sourced, adhering to pollution-free environment principles and EIA notification guidelines.
● Revival: Modern projects help preserve maritime heritage and skills while considering environmental impact assessments and the need for retrospective environmental clearances.