Indian Navy to induct 'ancient stitched ship' inspired by Ajanta Caves painting today

Ancient Stitched Ship

The Indian Navy would be inducting an "ancient stitched ship" today. The ship would also be named during a ceremony that will take place at the Naval Base in Karwar.

Minister of Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will be the Chief Guest during the ceremony and will officially oversee the induction of the ship.

The ship is inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves and has been recreated keeping in mind a CE vessel from the 5th century.

The project, funded by the Ministry of Culture, was started after a tripartite agreement signed in July 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy and Hodi Innovations.

The entire process—from conceptualisation and design to validation and construction—was led by the Navy in partnership with Hodi Innovations and skilled traditional artisans.

The ship’s keel was laid on September 12, 2023, marking the start of its journey. What makes this vessel truly unique is its construction, executed entirely using age-old shipbuilding techniques and natural materials. Master shipwright Babu Sankaran led a team of artisans from Kerala, crafting the ship with thousands of hand-stitched joints.

The ship was launched in February 2025 at the Hodi Shipyard in Goa. Designed to echo ancient maritime traditions, it is equipped with square sails and wooden steering oars—vastly different from any modern naval vessel. The hull design, sail rigging, and overall structure were developed from scratch, relying on first principles rather than existing templates.

To ensure performance and safety, the Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras for hydrodynamic model testing. Additionally, a detailed in-house structural analysis of the wooden mast system was carried out—crafted entirely without modern materials.