Bhubaneswar: INS Kaundinya, a hand-stitched wooden sailing vessel reconstructed by the Indian Navy using ancient techniques depicted in 5th-century murals from the Ajanta Caves, will retrace the historic maritime trade corridor between Odisha and Bali on Kartika Purnima.
Economist and maritime history enthusiast Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, announced the plan during the Nathaniel Wallich Memorial Lecture at the Indian Museum in Kolkata on Monday.
“The next voyage will depart from India’s east coast, most likely Odisha, to Bali on Kartik Purnima, an ancient trade corridor traditionally associated with mariners and traders setting sail across the Bay of Bengal,” the TOI reported, quoting Sanyal.
He added that the ship, which is currently undergoing thorough structural checks and maintenance in Oman following its successful maiden transoceanic voyage from Porbandar to Musc
at, will return to India’s east coast for the upcoming Bali expedition once inspections are complete.
Sanyal, who helped conceptualise and joined the project, described the Oman expedition as “an adventure straight out of antiquity”.
Odisha’s Maritime History
According to historians, the maritime trade in ancient Odisha, known as Kalinga or Utkala, dates back to 2,500 years ago. Odia mariners and merchants, known as Sadhabas, undertook long voyages in large wooden ships called Boitas across the Bay of Bengal. The journey usually commenced on Kartika Purnima aligned with favourable north-eastern monsoon winds with women gathering near the water body to pray for the safety of their husbands and relatives. The vessels used to complete their trip in 180 days from Cuttack to Bali, the sailing period was 120 days and the remaining 60 days were used for trade.
Interestingly, the king of Kalinga was referred to as Mahodadhipati, which translates to ‘king of the oceans’.
To this day, the people of Odisha celebrate the full moon of Kartika month through the Boita Bandana ritual, in which miniature boats are set afloat in water bodies to commemorate the state’s glorious seafaring past, accompanied by the magnificent Bali Jatra fair held at Gadagadia Ghata beside the Mahanadi in Cuttack.