Tracing India’s history to the Bronze Age, a group of enthusiasts is recreating “stitched ships”, which were once used for trade and commerce. Other than just reviving India’s ancient maritime heritage, the vessel is expected to set sail by the end of 2025.
Touted to be an eye-opener for the sea blind, the project gives the present a chance to bask in the glory of the past.
“Indians have sailed the Indian Ocean, from the Harappan period, using ships that were stitched together. We are trying to recreate a ship from the Gupta era, the fifth century. Not just Kerala but entire coastline once boasted of ships like this,“ said Sanjeev Sanyal, Member, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and the brain behind the project.
Titled as the Stitched Ship project, the name of the vessel is yet to be disclosed.
Not a new concept
A ‘stitched ship’ is a type of wooden boat which is built using the technique of carvel planking, or planks stitched together with cords/rope – a technique popular in ancient India prior to the advent of metallic fasteners.
Sanyal reiterated, “We are not trying to revive the ancient technology – that is impractical. Rather, we are attempting to recreate a Gupta-era ship. The ship is being built with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy. The Shipping Ministry, Ministry of External Affairs and others are also helping us with the voyages.”
“There is a great amount of interest in this project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally provided us with encouragement,” he told businessline.
The Keel for recreation of Ancient Stitched Ship was laid in September 2023.
Roots in art
According to Commodore Debesh Lahiri (Retd), Senior fellow and the Executive Editor of the biannual flagship Maritime Affairs, National Maritime Foundation, India’s maritime history, stretching back to the Bronze Age, is being revived through this initiative.
Elaborating on this, he said, “This project is inspired from a circa 4th century CE vessel depicted in the Ajanta paintings, ancient texts, carvings, and descriptions by foreign travellers.”
Asked about the cost, Sanyal said, “These ships are not expensive, but are not practical by modern standards. It is like a cultural project to demonstrate ancient shipping routes, to build a culture of risk taking amongst Indians, and an appreciation of our ancient maritime explorations.”
The ship has been under construction for a little less than a year now. “It should be in the water by March 2025 or so, then it will need to be fitted out, prior to the sea trials. Eventually we hope to be able to sail by the end of 2025. The first voyage is expected to be to Oman, following which we hope to sail from Odisha to Indonesia to recreate the ancient ‘Bali Yatra’,” he said.
Voyage details
“There will be about 15 people, including a captain and 14-15 sailors. And yes, I do intend to be sailing as part of the first voyage,” he said.
According to Cmde Lahiri, “It is not fair to compare these ships with the current vessels available. These ships require masterful craftsmanship. The current initiative is to reconstruct a 19.6 metre stitched ship. The significance of the project extends far beyond its physical construction. By sailing along ancient maritime routes and using traditional navigational techniques, the project seeks to gain insights into historical interactions across the Indian Ocean. The project also aims to foster cultural connections with Indian Ocean littoral countries.”
He added that the preliminary design had been based on the documentary evidence available, necessary modifications have been made in accordance with modern design parameters to enhance stability and safety. For instance, controlling the vessel’s rolling motion is critical to ensure the vessel’s stability, particularly in the challenging sea, he said, adding, “The ship’s design has been suitably modified to comply with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines on rolling limits of similarly sized vessels.”