INSV Kaundinya retraces ancient Indian sea routes using a stitched sail ship with no engine or metal.
Built with 5th-century techniques, the vessel revives India’s traditional maritime craftsmanship.
The voyage highlights India’s historic trade links with Oman and Southeast Asia.
The stitched sail ship Indian Navy Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya embarked on its historic voyage from Porbandar in Gujarat to Muscat in Oman on Monday, 29 December 2025. The ship will be retracing sea routes that were active more than 1,500 years ago in ancient India. The journey is a test of India’s traditional seafaring knowledge used in building vessels in the 5th century CE. It does not use any modern techniques, engines, or metal.
INSV Kaundinya relies solely on wind and sails, making it different from modern-day naval vessels. The ship showcases a return to ancient maritime practices, as it has no engine, no metal nails, and no modern navigation or propulsion systems. The vessel is a cultural and experimental project rather than a combat ship, with the purpose of reviving India’s forgotten oceanic heritage. INSV Kaundinya is a stitched sail ship based on descriptions found in the Ajanta Cave paintings, ancient texts, and foreign travellers’ accounts.
The vessel’s wooden planks are sewn together using coir ropes made from coconut fibre instead of being fixed with iron nails, which is why it is known as a “stitched ship”. Its hull is sealed using natural resin, cotton, and oils, traditional methods that made ships watertight and durable for long sea journeys.
The ship measures about 19.6 metres in length and 6.5 metres in width, with a draft of approximately 3.33 metres. It can carry a crew of about 15 sailors and is powered entirely by sails. Its construction follows a traditional Indian shipbuilding technique called the Tankai method, in which the hull is stitched first and the ribs are added later. This design allows the vessel to absorb the force of strong waves rather than cracking under pressure, making it more flexible.
The project was initiated in July 2023 after the signing of a tripartite agreement among the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations, with funding facilitated by the Ministry of Culture. Since the original blueprints of such vessels no longer exist, the Indian Navy and researchers attempted to recreate the design using Ajanta Cave paintings as visual references and ancient Indian texts for descriptive guidance.
The ship was stitched using age-old techniques passed down through generations by a team of traditional craftsmen from Kerala, led by master shipwright Babu Sankaran. The Indian Navy conducted scientific evaluations, including hydrodynamic and structural studies at IIT Madras, to ensure safety and stability for modern-day sailing. The ship was launched in February 2025 and inducted into the Indian Navy in May at Karwar in Karnataka.
INSV Kaundinya reflects India’s ancient maritime heritage and carries several cultural symbols. The ship features the Gandabherunda, a two-headed eagle associated with the Kadamba dynasty, sun motifs painted on the sails, and the mythical lion Simha Yali placed on the bow. It also includes a Harappan-style stone anchor kept on the deck, symbolising continuity with India’s earliest known seafaring traditions.
Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister who pioneered the idea of rebuilding a stitched ancient ship, shared glimpses of life onboard in a recent post on X. Sharing photographs from the vessel, he wrote, “Modern amenities are minimal except for safety and communications. This is how it looks under the deck. As you can see, there are no cabins and just a dark hold for storing supplies. Mostly, we sleep on the open deck with sleeping bags.”
The ship is named after Kaundinya, a legendary Indian mariner who lived in the 1st century CE. According to Southeast Asian and Chinese historical records, he sailed from India to the Mekong Delta, where he married Queen Soma and helped establish the Kingdom of Funan in present-day Cambodia.
The Kingdom of Funan is believed to be one of the earliest kingdoms in Southeast Asia influenced by Indian culture, political ideas, and trade networks across the region. Later civilisations, such as the Khmer and Cham dynasties, are also believed to trace their origins to this union. Although Indian historical texts do not mention Kaundinya, the mariner is regarded as having a lasting global historical impact.
The sea route connecting India to Oman and the rest of Southeast Asia was once a vital trade corridor that acted as a bridge between the Indian subcontinent and West Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia. These waterways were used for centuries to exchange spices, textiles, and ideas, shaping economic and cultural ties across the Indian Ocean world.
The ship’s journey serves as a living experiment in history, craftsmanship, and navigation, bringing India’s oceanic past into the present through wind, sails, and human skill alone.
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