Indian Navy to induct traditionally built "Ancient Stitched Ship'

The Indian Navy is all set to induct and unveil the name of the Ancient Stitched Ship during a ceremonial event on May 21 2025 at the Naval Base in Karwar The Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will be presiding over the ceremony as a chief guest The launch of this vessel will formally mark the induction of the ship into the Indian NavyInspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves this ship is a recreation of a 5thcentury CE ship As informed by the Defence Ministry the project was formally initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in July 2023 between the Ministry of Culture the Indian Navy and Ms Hodi Innovations It has also been informed that the funding for this ship was granted by the Ministry of CultureHowever the keel laying of the Stitched Ship took place on 12 September 2023 and it was then launched in February 2025 at the Hodi Shipyard in GoaWhile elaborating more about this monumental ship the Defence Ministry said the construction of the Stitched Ship was carried out using traditional methods This shape has been constructed using raw materials by artisans from Kerala led by master shipwright Shri Babu Sankaran who executed thousands of handstitched jointsThe Ancient Stitched Ship was launched on 26Feb 25 by RAdm KM Ramakrishnan FOK at Ms Hodiinnovations Ltd GoaThe Stitched ship is a unique vessel built using wood coir and natural resin A traditional ceremony was conducted in the presence of the traditional artisanshellip pictwittercomfRxZ1MBtL0mdash SpokespersonNavy indiannavy February 27 2025The Indian Navy has overseen the entire spectrum of implementation of this project including concept development design technical validation and construction in collaboration with Ms Hodi Innovations and traditional artisans The spokesperson for the Indian Navy on their official X account also posted that the Stitched ship is a unique vessel built using wood coir and natural resin A traditional ceremony was conducted in the presence of the traditional artisans IndianNavy and shipyard personnel This launch is a testament to Indias shipbuilding legacyThe design and construction presented on this vessel have been done with distinct technical hurdles With no remaining plans or physical traces the design of this vessel had to be reconstructed from twodimensional visual imagery The project required a novel multidisciplinary approach that combined archaeological interpretation naval architecture hydrodynamic testing and traditional craftsmanship However unlike any modern vessel the stitched ship comes with square sails and steering oars which are completely unfamiliar to modern shipsThe Indian Navy also briefed that the hull geometry rigging and sails of the ship needed to be completely redesigned and tested from scratch They added that they worked with the Department of Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras to conduct model testing to validate the vessels hydrodynamic behaviour at seaFurthermore the Indian Navy also conducted an internal structural analysis to evaluate the wooden mast system which was planned and built without the use of modern materialsEvery aspect of the ship had to balance historical authenticity with seaworthiness leading to design choices that were both innovative and true to the maritime traditions of ancient India The combination of a stitched hull square sails wooden spars and traditional steering mechanisms makes the vessel unlike any ship currently in Naval service anywhere in the world The successful completion of the construction of the Ancient Stitched Ship represents the completion of a fully functional seagoing vesselAfter the induction the project will enter its second phase During the second phase the vessel will be undertaken by the Indian NavyatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params