Reviving History, India’s ‘Stitched’ Old-School Ship Port-Docks At Muscat, Completes Historic 17-Day Voyage

India repeated history on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) when its traditional-style ‘stitched’ sail ship docked at the Muscat port, bringing back memories of the oil-school shipbuilding industry that powered the Indian achievements as a seafaring, trading nation centuries ago.

Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya’s maiden 17-day voyage was completed just on the eve of Makarsankranti, a pious harvest festival celebrated across India on January 15 annually.

When did INSV Kaundinya begin its voyage to Oman?

INSV Kuandinya had began its voyage on December 29, 2025, at Porbandar, and completed the high-sea sailing successfully, reenacting how Indian sailors had navigated the open seas for centuries, trading in spices, teak, and other goods to all parts of the world, and brought back gold and silver to India.

India has a rich maritime tradition, for trade and for overseas conquest through naval combat units, both on its eastern and western seaboards for centuries, marking its sea-faring history in distant lands such as Australia, South America, Africa, and Europe.

India has always been a maritime power in the Indian Ocean, and the arrival of INSV Kaundinya at Port Sultan Qaboos marked those historical moments once again for the present generations of Indians to learn about how Indian had conquered the seas centuries ago.

What does the INSV Kaundinya’s voyage represent?

India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, India Embassy and Oman’s Minister of Heritage and Tourism officials, and Royal Oman Navy’s officers welcomed INSV Kaundinya and its crew at the port, rekindled those historical realities of how India was a maritime power.

Named after the legendary Indian mariner Kaundinya, the vessel represented India’s glorious indigenous maritime knowledge, seafaring history, and traditional and sustainable shipbuilding capabilities.

INSV Kaundinya’s voyage drew global attention in view of the diplomatic heft provided by both India and Oman to celebrate their seafaring legacy, rooted in over five millennia of cultural, commercial, and civilisational exchanges across the Indian Ocean.

What are the stitched vessel’s charateristics?

The ship’s crew included four officers and 13 naval sailors, with Commander Vikas Sheoran as the vessel’s skipper. They were accorded a ceremonial reception by the dignitaries and guests from both nations.

INSV Kaundiya was built as a 65-foot vessel, using traditional methods of stitched shipbuilding, deploying only naturally available resources and techniques that date back several centuries, thereby reviving one aspect of Indian Knowledge Systems.

A recreation of a fifth-century ship, INSV Kaundinya, was inspired by a seafaring depiction in the Ajanta Cave paintings, reflecting an early Indian expertise that had been forgotten.

Why is INSV Kaundinya’s voyage significant?

The timing of INSV Kaundinya’s voyage was to mark the 70 years of contemporary diplomatic relations between India and Oman, reinforcing the maritime ties that the two nations enjoyed for centuries through the sea routes.

At the event in the Omani port, Sonowal mentioned that INSV Kaundinya’s voyage was a celebration of a deep-rooted civilisational bond between the two nations.

The stitched ship’s arrival in Muscat was symbolic of the enduring India-Oman friendship that stood the test of time, he said, adding that the bilateral ties were anchored in history, enriched by trade, and strengthened by mutual respect.

The ship was also “a shining example” of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership. “It was his resolve to revive India’s ancient shipbuilding genius and present it proudly before the world,” Sonowal added.

How did this historical recreation of the voyage start?

In July 2023, a tripartite agreement among India’s Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations kick-started the stitched shipbuilding project, funded by the Indian government.

The voyage of INSV Kaundinya, Indian officials said, successfully demonstrated the seaworthiness of ancient Indian shipbuilding techniques while reaffirming India’s historical role as a maritime nation.

Sonowal took the opportunity of the visit to hold talks with Oman’s Minister of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, exploring expanded cooperation in ports, shipping, and green maritime initiatives, including a proposed India–Oman Green Shipping Corridor.