Union minister Lekhi lays keel for Navy's stitched ship in Goa, says it is country's intangible cultural heritage

Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi laid the keel for a "stitched ship", reminiscent of vessels that sailed on India's ancient maritime trade routes, in Goa on Tuesday and said this is an intangible cultural heritage of the country. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister, were present on the occasion.

Once the ship is ready, the Indian Navy will undertake a unique voyage along the traditional maritime trade routes using ancient navigation techniques, a Navy spokesperson earlier said.

The Indian Navy, Union Ministry of Culture, and M/s Hodi Innovations, Goa, are collaborating to construct the ancient stitched ship, he said.


Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Lekhi, the Union minister of state for culture and external affairs, said this is an intangible cultural heritage of India and "may be we can sell it as multinational entry." "Because that is also about bilateral relationship building," she added.

"I am sure lot of wrong has happened to history and a lot of loss has happened to us civilisationally. Time to correct all that," the minister said.

Admiral Hari Kumar said, "For the Navy, this ship is a step to free our nation from sea blindness and build maritime consciousness."

A Navy official said the stitched ship is a remarkable endeavour, deeply embedded in India's cultural and civilisational heritage and is a symbol of our nation's rich shipbuilding legacy.

Extensive research and consultation with a wide spectrum of subject matter experts have been instrumental in conceptualising this ambitious project, he said.

The project was approved by the National Implementation Committee, chaired by the Union home minister as a commemoration project on December 14, 2022, the official said.

The Directorate of Naval Architecture of the Indian Navy engaged in several rounds of discussions with the Ministry of Culture, culminating in the signing of a tripartite agreement with M/s Hodi Innovations on July 18 for the construction of the ancient stitched ship.

The stitching work will be undertaken by a team of traditional shipwrights, led by Babu Sankaran, who is an expert in stitched ship construction, the official said.

Using this age-old technique, the wooden planks will be shaped using the traditional steaming method to conform to the shape of the hull. Each plank will then be stitched to another using cords/ropes, sealed with a combination of coconut fibre, resin and fish oil - akin to the ancient Indian shipbuilding practice, he said.